The N.E.A. Really Isn’t “Welfare for Rich, Liberal Élites”
“The scholar-in-residence at Fox News, Tucker Carlson, spouts this widespread view. On a recent episode of his eponymous show, Carlson insisted that government agencies like the N.E.A. are ‘welfare for rich, liberal élites,’ and wondered why taxpayers are ‘subsidizing entertainment for rich people.’ And Paul Ryan has claimed that the art generated by N.E.A. grants is ‘generally enjoyed by people of higher income levels, making them a wealth transfer from poorer to wealthier citizens.’”