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5d ago

Trump Administration Proposes NEA Elimination and Overhauls Arts Funding

The 2026 budget seeks to dismantle the National Endowment for the Arts, with terminated grants, staff resignations, and a shift toward administration-aligned priorities.

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Jessie Amoroso, costume director at the American Conservatory Theater. left, and Costume and Scenic Designer David Zinn, right, adjusts a costume on cast member El Beh during a fitting ahead of the musical “The Wizard of Oz”, at the theater’s costume shop in San Francisco, May 16, 2023. Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cultural overhaul.
Cast members of the upcoming American Conservatory Theater production “A Whynot Christmas Carol” are seen during a rehearsal in San Francisco, Oct. 30, 2024. Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cultural overhaul.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi greets well wishers after the concert while attending the SFJAZZ Gala 2019 at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco. Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cultural overhaul.

Overview

  • President Donald Trump's proposed 2026 budget calls for the complete elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the largest federal arts funder in the U.S.
  • Dozens of NEA grants have been rescinded, with funding redirected toward projects aligned with administration priorities, such as patriotic themes, HBCUs, and AI initiatives.
  • NEA staff are being asked to resign or retire under a deferred resignation program, with key leadership roles already affected.
  • The NEA has faced defunding attempts before, including under Reagan and during Trump’s first term, but was saved by bipartisan congressional action.
  • Legal challenges to the administration’s actions, led by the ACLU and state attorneys general, are underway, while other cultural agencies like the NEH and IMLS face similar threats.