Arts panel disbands

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S Committee on the Arts and the Humanities resigned in style Friday .

The 17 prominent Broadway, Hollywood and other arts figures released a letter to Trump explaining their decision.

“Reproach and censure in the strongest possible terms are necessary following your support of the hate groups and terrorists who killed and injured fellow Americans in Charlottesville,” the members wrote. “The false equivalencies you push cannot stand.”

Actor Kal Penn, photographer Chuck Close and Jill Cooper Udall, wife of Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) were among those who signed the letter. The first letter of each paragraph in the missive spells out the word “resist.”

They were mostly appointed by the Obama administration and stayed after Trump was elected until new people were appointed. They said they decided to resign after Trump said earlier this week “both sides” were to blame for the clashes between white nationalists and counterprotesters on Saturday.

In a statement, the White House claimed it had decided to get rid of the committee earlier this month.

“While the committee has done good work in the past, in its current form it simply is not a responsible way to spend American tax dollars,” said the statement, which was tweeted by a New York Times reporter.

“Harold and Kumar” star Penn responded on Twitter with an “LOL” at the President. “(Y)ou can’t break up with us after we broke up with you,” he tweeted.