The Washington Post obtained internal financial documents of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The documents confirm what many suspected: the Trump takeover was a financial disaster.

Before Trump, the Center was decidedly nonpartisan. Its board contained members of different political parties and no political party. When Trump took over, he cleaned out the entire board, excepting members of Congress whom he could not fire. He replaced the board with Trump loyalists, who tried to turn the institution into a monument to Dear Leader Trump. And the board fired the key members of the staff, who were professionals.

Once Trump’s name was added to the facade, artists and performances canceled, and ticket sales dropped precipitously.

Trump’s people said that any problems were inherited from the previous board and pretended that the Trump-Kennedy Center was better, more successful than ever.

Lies. Lies. Lies.

Someone handed the Center’s financial documents to The Washington Post.

Reporter Jonathan Edwards wrote:

““The center took a huge hit when the takeover happened,” and then appeared to stabilize, according to an official familiar with the center’s financial situation. But after the name change, “it was just an absolute fiscal cliff. Donors disappeared, ticket sales disappeared, artists disappeared — like it was doomsday.”

One outside observer said that the fallout after the name change was catastrophic. A spokesman for the Kennedy Center said that any financial problems were the fault of the previous management.

But common sense suggests that putting Trump’s name on a memorial to John F. Kennedy was disastrous, not only because patrons were repelled by the name change and by the politicization of a beloved arts institution, but because the new, inexperienced staff was incompetent.

As is often said, whatever Trump touches soon dies.