Rima Abdul Malak, who held the position of cultural attaché at the French Embassy in the United States from 2014 to 2018, was stationed in New York during Donald Trump’s initial term (2017-2021). According to the former French Culture Minister (2022-2024), the essence of American democracy appears to be faltering.
During this period, Trump did not exhibit the same level of harshness that he is known for today, yet the foundations of his approach were already being laid. His signature anti-elitism was evident, targeting a broad range of individuals he classified as the elite, including academics, researchers, artists, intellectuals, lawyers, and scientists.
In the cultural arena, he sought to reduce funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), both federal entities that provide support for the arts and humanities, with annual budgets of $150 million for the NEA and $200 million for the NEH. However, Congress intervened to prevent these cuts and the potential elimination of these agencies, as some Republicans were unwilling to relinquish the subsidies essential for their local constituencies. The current political landscape has shifted: Trump was elected with a decisive majority, leading him to believe he has the mandate to push his agenda as far as possible, convinced that his electoral base demands nothing less.
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