President Donald Trump praised funding for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that was put in the stimulus bill. It flies in the face of the Republican Party's attacks on the funding measure, and accusations that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was pushing her own pet projects into being funded.
The Kennedy Center does get federal funding as the largest public theater in Washington, D.C. and the budgets and laws for the District of Columbia must be approved by Congress. The construction of the Kennedy Center was also funded by Congress in 1958. Congress continues to fund the maintenance expenses of the building whole other grants and donations fund projects, though the center is considered a federal entity.
Politico's Jake Sherman noted that both Democrats and Republicans put funding for it in their respective bills.
"Why are we doing this? I'm all for the arts but this is not the time or the place," said Fox News' Dana Perino. "If Nancy Pelosi thinks that this wasn't something she wanted in there, then she has to police her troops a little bit better because they look really bad."
So did conservative Greta Van Susteren.
“Democrats’ behavior is a national disgrace. They are blocking aid for sick people and unemployed workers over Pelosi’s totally unrelated demands,” tweeted House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy on Monday.
As did Rep. Mark Green.
But when asked about it on Wednesday, Trump explained he's in full support.
“The Kennedy Center has suffered greatly because nobody can go there,” President Trump says when asked about the funding for Kennedy Center. “You gotta give them something … the Democrats have treated us fairly.”
Republican staffers will likely rush to Twitter and Facebook to delete their attacks soon.
