Trump to watch 'Les Miserables', tale of revolt and oppression
Trump's appearance at the opening night of the hit musical "Les Miserables" at the renowned Kennedy Center in Washington on Wednesday night could hardly be more politically charged.
The Republican recently orchestrated a conservative takeover of the famed arts venue, reportedly prompting some "Les Mis" cast members to boycott the show.
But the performance of the show, set against the backdrop of revolutionary 19th century France, also comes as the United States itself faces fresh turbulence.
Trump, who will be joined by First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance at the premiere, has recently sent in troops to deal with protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles.
California officials accuse him of "dictatorial" behavior and of manufacturing a confrontation by deploying thousands of National Guard troops and US Marines. Trump says he will "liberate" Los Angeles from an "invasion" of migrants.
"I think the irony is probably lost on him," Peter Loge, director of George Washington University's School of Media, told AFP.
The social injustice portrayed in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel -- coupled with songs such as "Do You Hear the People Sing?" and "I Dreamed a Dream" -- has long resonated with audiences around the world.
But billionaire Trump, who had announced his decision to attend "Les Miserables" before the Los Angeles protests erupted, says he too has long been a fan.
The 78-year-old has played songs from the show at his rallies and political events. "I love the songs, I love the play," Trump told Fox News Digital last week.
- Trump takeover -
His attendance is yet another show of strength after installing himself as chairman of the center and replacing the entire board with loyalists in February as part of his administration's war on what it views as the liberal opposition.
Loge said Trump's presence there was part of a broader focus on image-making by the reality TV star-turned-president. "Les Mis is a great spectacle. And it sounds smart. It's not just a show, it sounds like it stands for something."
Trump's takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center faced opposition in some quarters. A historically bipartisan-supported institution, it has never been led by a US president before.
Another hit show, "Hamilton," canceled its run there in response. Trump responded by saying he had "never liked" the rap musical, which is about the birth of the United States and its first treasury secretary.
Several key figures, including TV producer Shonda Rhimes who created the show "Grey's Anatomy" and musician Ben Folds, resigned from their leadership positions.
And the Vances -- Usha Vance is one of the new board members -- were booed by the Kennedy Center audience at a performance of the National Symphony Orchestra in March.
Trump toured the center days afterwards, notably addressing the media from high up in a red velvet-lined presidential box, and accusing its previous bosses of letting it fall into debt and disrepair.
The Kennedy Center is a major performing arts venue in the United States, a living monument to the late John F. Kennedy that opened in 1971 and that has long enjoyed bipartisan support.
Its diverse programming includes a prestigious annual arts gala. Trump did not attend during his first term as president but it's unclear whether he will do so now.
Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center comes amid a broader assault on what he deems "woke" programming at cultural institutions, including the famed Smithsonian museums, as well as universities.
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Stock market today: Dow jumps 500 points, S&P 500, Nasdaq rally in bounce back from Friday sell-off
US stocks rebounded sharply Monday, recovering from last week's sell-off sparked by disappointing labor data and continuing trade uncertainty. The benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) climbed 1.4%, while the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 1.3% or more than 500 points. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) led the gains, rising about 1.7%. The moves follow a sharp pullback on Wall Street on Friday. All three major indexes posted their worst weekly declines in months, ending a run of positive market moves. The declines were exacerbated Friday after July's jobs report came in weaker than expected, and previous months' tallies were revised sharply lower, flipping the narrative on the labor market's strength. It led President Trump to lash out at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which publishes the monthly jobs report, and fire its commissioner. Trump suggested he would nominate a new head for the agency in the coming days. 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"We are optimistic that sales growth, along with management's commitment to controlling expenses/investments, may create a longer-term positive inflection in earnings revisions, on top of what we view as an attractive valuation," JPMorgan's Christopher Horvers wrote in a note ahead of earnings. "Further, over the next three to five years, [Wayfair] should outgrow the category given the longer-term shift toward online retailing and its advantaged assortment/ supply chain as the largest scaled online specialty player in the industry." Read more live coverage of corporate earnings here. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. 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Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Oil eased on Monday as investors digested OPEC+'s latest supply increase, helping to counter a threat from Washington to move against Russian oil flows. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Morgan Stanley's Wilson: Buy stocks dip on earnings strength Morgan Stanley's strategist Michael Wilson said on Monday that investors should buy into bthe selloff in US stocks because of the robust earnings outlook for the coming year. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Morgan Stanley's strategist Michael Wilson said on Monday that investors should buy into bthe selloff in US stocks because of the robust earnings outlook for the coming year. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. 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Goldman Sachs out this morning with a subdued outlook on the US consumer following Friday's lackluster jobs report. Good read on the consumer from the WSJ today, mirrors what Procter & Gamble's (PG) CEO told me on earnings day. Goldman's chief economist Jan Hatzius: "We expect the weakness in consumer spending to continue in the second half of the year and forecast 0.8% real spending growth in 2025H2. Our view is underpinned by the expectation of a sharp slowdown in real income growth from its elevated pace in 2025H1. Income growth will be hit in Q3 by the phasing out of the one-off 2025H1 government transfer payments and in Q4 by the Medicaid and SNAP benefit cuts included in the new fiscal bill, which will take effect in 2025Q4 and affect lower-income households in particular. We also see higher tariff-driven inflation to impose a drag on real income growth in the second half of the year. Finally, we expect weak job growth due to lower immigration, cuts in government and healthcare hiring, and a tariff-related decline in activity. We expect declines in both business and residential investment in the second half of the year." Swiss stocks decline on US tariffs, push for lower drug prices Swiss stocks took a hit on Monday as the market reopened after a holiday. Worries about the impact from President Trump's 39% export tariffs and a push for drugmakers to lower prices have caused tension in the market. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Swiss stocks took a hit on Monday as the market reopened after a holiday. Worries about the impact from President Trump's 39% export tariffs and a push for drugmakers to lower prices have caused tension in the market. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Gold steady with weak job data bolstering the precious metal Gold (GC=F) held gains after a two month run of positivity as weak jobs data gave another reason to look towards haven assets. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Gold (GC=F) held gains after a two month run of positivity as weak jobs data gave another reason to look towards haven assets. Bloomberg reports: Read more here.
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- Yahoo
Donald Trump Insulted Taylor Swift While Praising Sydney Sweeney In A New Rant
President Donald Trump is continuing to respond very normally to news that Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican. The actor found herself amid backlash following her "great jeans" American Eagle ad, in which she said, 'Genes are passed down from parent to offspring, often determining traits like eye color, personality, and even hair color. My jeans are blue." Given the political climate, some criticized the ad as a racist "dog whistle." Related: This weekend, BuzzFeed was the first major outlet to confirm that Sydney is registered as a Republican in Florida, according to publicly available voter registration records. When Trump was seemingly told about her registration in an interview this morning, he responded, 'She's a registered Republican? Oh, now I love her ad!' Shortly after the interview, Trump hit Truth Social with another take: "Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the 'HOTTEST' ad out there. It's for American Eagle, and the jeans are 'flying off the shelves.' Go get 'em Sydney!" Indeed, Sydney's Ultra Wide-Leg Jean is currently listed as out of stock on American Eagle's website. Interestingly, the success of American Eagle sub-brand Aerie has been attributed to its emphasis on diversity in its branding. Related: Trump compared the ad to car company Jaguar's viral "Copy Nothing" campaign last year, which featured a diverse selection of models and was branded "woke" by the right: "On the other side of the ledger, Jaguar did a stupid, and seriously WOKE advertisement, THAT IS A TOTAL DISASTER! The CEO just resigned in disgrace, and the company is in absolute turmoil. Who wants to buy a Jaguar after looking at that disgraceful ad." Related: He further evoked the Bud Light boycotts, which began after transgender TikToker Dylan Mulvaney posted a less-than-a-minute-long video on Instagram promoting the company's giveaway. The President wrote, "Shouldn't they have learned a lesson from Bud Lite, which went Woke and essentially destroyed, in a short campaign, the Company. The market cap destruction has been unprecedented, with BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SO FOOLISHLY LOST." "Or just look at Woke singer Taylor Swift," he continued, taking another shot at the singer. "Ever since I alerted the world as to what she was by saying on TRUTH that I can't stand her (HATE!). She was booed out of the Super Bowl and became, NO LONGER HOT. The tide has seriously turned — Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Related: Similarly, Trump posted (unprovoked) back in May, "Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?'" It's worth noting that Taylor is reportedly enjoying some downtime after her record-breaking Eras tour. Cool! Very normal stuff from the President! Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News:
