Arts under attack in Trump's America

In this episode of Late Night Live, host David Marr speaks with Sebastian Smee, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic and former writer for The Washington Post, about the growing threat to artistic and journalistic freedom in Trump's America. Smee recounts his experience at The Post, where he witnessed a dramatic shift from a thriving, independent newsroom under Marty Baron’s leadership to a financially struggling institution increasingly beholden to Jeff Bezos’s business interests. The turning point came during Trump’s second term, when Bezos reportedly curried favor with the administration by abandoning editorial independence—most notably by refusing to endorse Kamala Harris—leading to massive staff cuts, including Smee’s own termination. Smee draws a direct line between this corporate capitulation and broader attacks on cultural institutions, citing the cancellation of a Philip Guston retrospective at the National Gallery over controversial imagery, as well as Trump’s efforts to reshape the arts through government control, renaming the Kennedy Center, and promoting neoclassical architecture with authoritarian overtones. He warns that these moves reflect a deeper pattern of authoritarianism, censorship, and the weaponization of state power against dissenting voices across media, academia, and the arts. The episode underscores the vital role of independent journalism and cultural institutions in resisting such trends, drawing chilling parallels to authoritarian regimes abroad. Key takeaways include: 1) Editorial independence is under threat when media owners prioritize political favor over journalistic integrity; 2) Censorship of art, even by public institutions, signals a broader assault on free expression; 3) Government funding of cultural institutions creates leverage for political control; 4) The promotion of neoclassical architecture as a symbol of authoritarian nostalgia is a dangerous ideological signal; 5) Journalists and artists must remain vigilant, as the erosion of cultural freedom often precedes broader democratic decline. Smee’s personal story—of being let go after years of impactful work—serves as a powerful testament to the human cost of these systemic changes.