Sound Off: December 24, 2025
Sun Herald readers weigh in on local and national topics.
Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center was named to honor President John F. Kennedy, whose support for the arts helped revive a long-stalled vision for a national cultural center. After his assassination, Congress formally designated it as a living memorial to that commitment. For Donald Trump to stamp his own name onto a historic, publicly owned institution is obscene. It is a Public Trust: No president “owns” it, controls its name, or may brand it personally. This is a national memorial—not a vanity project or branding opportunity, i.e., Trump Tower.
Winners win
You know, to the winner goes the spoils. And whether you like it or not, Donald J. Trump is a two-time President of the United States. He’s going to get his name on some things. Best to go ahead and come to terms with that now, before you get all worked up over every little thing.
Another failure
Since Donald Trump “saved” The Kennedy Center, ticket sales have plummeted, subscriptions are down by one third, artists and patrons are boycotting like crazy and the board he installed is now giving away free tickets to try to cover up this disastrous ego trip. It’s a crying shame that there is no one with a backbone to stop this continuing destruction and rewriting of history.
The Trump-Kennedy Center
I’m sure this will do just as well as all the other Trump-branded things, such as Trump Steaks, Trump Airlines, Trump Taj Majah ... you get the idea.
Imperial presidency
A Sound Off writer commented the Sun Herald-published article “might be valuable.” It is not only valuable, it should be mandatory reading for every citizen to accept the reality and consequences of Donald Trump’s presidency and democracy. Please reprint it. Even MAGA (and Congress) did not vote for Trump’s “Imperial Presidency.”
Who’s next?
JD Vance is already campaigning for the 2028 presidential election. I guess He’s trying to capture President Trump’s followers before they jump ship.
Attacking Kirk
It wasn’t enough that they killed her husband? Now we have people going after Erika Kirk for, apparently, not grieving the right way.
Nothing to see here
I’m sure President Trump is innocent of this Epstein stuff because he isn’t on video bragging about grabbing women and hasn’t had 27 different women accuse him of sex assault or bragged about going into beauty pageant dressing rooms when they’re naked or talked about how hot his daughter is.
Well ... we’re waiting
The year is 2060. We’ve had Republicans as president, we’ve had Democrats as president, heck, we might have even had an independent as president. But you know what we still don’t have? The full release of the Epstein files.
A big difference
Bill Clinton saw everyone calling him a pedophile and said release the files to clear my name. President Trump saw everyone calling him a pedophile and said the files are a Democratic hoax and fought the release. Strange.
Pro sports
Rooting for pro sports is a sugar high. Even winning it all doesn’t provide the long-lasting satisfaction of doing something yourself. Big money for tickets and salaries, while you’re better off paying a lot less for a gym membership. Save the enthusiasm for our high school teams, like the great run Gulfport had for a state championship. They’re our kids playing the game, not some businessman playing for the highest bidder.
Venezuela
If Venezuela would stop breaking international law, I suppose we would stop taking over its ships.
Send your Sound Offs to soundoff@sunherald.com.