Trump has already taken control of the Kennedy Center and suggested he would host the annual honors broadcast. He tasked Vice President JD Vance with reviewing the cultural offerings of the Smithsonian Institution with the goal of eradicating what he views as leftist content.
“I’m a very artistic person,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.
Trump claimed the pope image was a joke and that it was posted to his Truth Social account without his knowledge. But Catholics in Rome and elsewhere were not amused. Nor were some political observers, who worry about the White House’s use of AI-generated images that are increasingly blurring the distinction between reality and fantasy.
To critics, Trump’s ubiquity is about control. Along with manipulating images, Trump is also trying to curtail academic freedom through his assault on universities, they say. While last week, Trump aides established a “White House Wire” online page meant to mimic the popular conservative Drudge Report, -- an effort to try and shape coverage around the president.
Detractors see a president who wants to be the last word on culture, education, entertainment and even the news. His supporters view Trump simply as a powerful and consequential figure unafraid to push back against a liberal tide.
But whatever the truth, there is simply no escaping him. And that seems to be how he likes it.
