‘OMG!’: Trump Suffers Kennedy Center Defeat by Artists Who Used His Past Against Him — But the Jaw-Dropping Way They Got Revenge Offers Final Blow
Donald Trump has spent years proving that criticism rarely goes unanswered. Whether it comes from a pop superstar, a governor, or a late-night comedian, he responds with Truth Social posts, interviews, or flagrant insults.
After Beyoncé backed Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, Trump lashed out at the Grammy winner before alleging that entertainers supporting Democrats should be investigated.
When Taylor Swift endorsed the former vice president, he fired back on his social media platform with an all-caps post: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a presidential hopeful, also gets under Trump’s skin. He repeatedly mocks the former reality star with AI-generated videos and memes.
Trump routinely floods social media with late-night posts whenever political rivals, celebrities, or cultural figures target him, his family, or his administration. But those moments have largely played out online.
The latest wave of criticism hit much closer to home, transforming the nation’s capital into a sprawling canvas of political protest.
Over the weekend, a coordinated campaign turned Washington, D.C., into a giant political billboard. The anti-Trump group Lincoln Project Advocacy teamed with projection artist Vjaybombs to cast guerrilla-style light displays across some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
Organizers used high-powered mobile projectors to beam political artwork and animated messages onto government buildings, monuments, and the massive tarp covering the Kennedy Center.
“Lincoln Project Advocacy and @vjaybombs collaborated this past weekend to send America a message: Donald Trump didn’t drain the swamp. He built a bigger one,” the organization wrote on X.
Lincoln Project Advocacy and @vjaybombs collaborated this past weekend to send America a message: Donald Trump didn’t drain the swamp. He built a bigger one. pic.twitter.com/mHWqxcTbTj
— The Lincoln Project Advocacy (@LPAdvocacy) June 22, 2026
In a second post, the group explained its broader message.
“More from our collab with @vjaybombs this weekend,” they wrote. “This campaign is a reminder that amid the chaos and endless distractions, Trump and his party have made DC more corrupt than ever, and from Jeffrey Epstein to Trump’s crypto scams to a wrecked economy, Trump is to blame.”
More from our collab with @vjaybombs this weekend. This campaign is a reminder that amid the chaos and endless distractions, Trump and his party have made DC more corrupt than ever, and from Jeffrey Epstein to Trump’s crypto scams to a wrecked economy, Trump is to blame. pic.twitter.com/ZhL2WwQCQg
— The Lincoln Project Advocacy (@LPAdvocacy) June 22, 2026
The campaign transformed familiar landmarks into oversized canvases.
One projection depicted senior Senate Republican Mitch McConnell as a turtle crawling near the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool. An alligator bearing the face of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth walking in front of the algae-covered water met him.
Stephen Miller appeared as a bat hanging upside down from the Lincoln Memorial before his face slowly emerged from folded wings.
Critics cast Trump as a troll hiding beneath the Arlington Memorial Bridge.Vice President JD Vance appeared as a worm. A new caricature depicted Secretary of State Marco Rubio swimming as a fish.
Another sequence projected FBI Director Kash Patel onto a wall with animated eyes darting nervously from side to side.
One of the most striking installations landed on the Kennedy Center tarp. Trump’s name tumbled downward before the numbers “86” and “47” appeared. Other imagery showed Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein, projected onto both the Kennedy Center covering and another wall in the city. The projections did not alter the buildings themselves.
House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared nude in one animated caricature, reaching for a pull string attached to a light bulb lamp. Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” provided the soundtrack.
The goal, according to organizers, was to replace conventional political ads with temporary public art that could go viral after being filmed.
The strategy worked.
One viewer posted on X, “OMFG! An incredible group of patriotic protesters just projected images of Trump and Epstein onto the tarp that Trump had placed over the Kennedy center name to hide the fact that his name was forcibly removed.”
Others focused less on the politics than the creativity.
“I love that the tarp on the Kennedy Center now makes a perfect projection screen. I love you, America,” one Threads user wrote. Another simply asked, “Is this for real? I hope!” A third laughed, “Bawahahaha this is perfection.”
Another commenter wanted to know who was behind it: “You’re fantastic, whoever you are. How can we support your work?”
Others singled out specific images.
“Love trump the troll under the bridge — NAILED IT- take this viral to be seen by millions !!!!” one person wrote. Another offered praise for the anonymous artist: “May the artist always have their coffee served to their liking. May their pillow always be cool. May… well I wish that clever person an abundance of wonderful things.”
One X user compared the projection artist to one of the world’s most famous anonymous creators: “Soooo AWESOME!! As cool as Banksy!”
Whether the projections change minds remains impossible to measure. But they signal how activism is evolving. Activists are turning iconic public spaces into viral moments.
If Trump’s responses to Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Newsom, or any late-night comic are any indication, campaigns that dominate Washington’s skyline and social media at the same time may be exactly the kind of political theater capable of getting his attention.