UPDATED: President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the board of the Kennedy Center has voted to immediately close the main complex, while adding that no renovations would take place unless his name is restored to the institution.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “The Board of The Kennedy Center today agreed, almost unanimously, to close the Building for Safety reasons, and so that it can begin the process of Reconstruction. The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name. If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place.”
Congress appropriated more than $250 million for Kennedy Center renovations last year as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Trump also wrote that $17 million that he raised for the center is being put into the Kennedy Center account “to keep it afloat.”
The board of the Kennedy Center was presented with a resolution to immediately close the main part of the arts complex, with officials citing repair needs and financial woes. The resolution outlined the structural needs of the center and a recent incident in which a piece of the ceiling collapsed amid heavy rains.
Trump, who serves as the board’s chairman, initially announced the closure plan in February. The board is dominated by members appointed by the president.
Major programming at the center largely ended in July, as the board had previously set that as the timeline to shutter the facility for two years for renovations, funding by a congressional appropriation of more than $250 million.
But Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), an ex officio member of the board, challenged the closure plan, and a federal judge last spring ruled that the center’s board had to more fully consider the impact of such an action before shuttering. In August, the board voted in favor of a plan to shut down the main complex but keep open The Reach, an extension that opened in 2019, for limited performances.
Beatty also challenged the Kennedy Center board’s vote in December to add Trump’s name to the complex. The judge, Christopher Cooper, sided with her, ruling that only Congress could make such a change, and he ordered that Trump’s name be removed. Earlier on Tuesday, Cooper also nixed an alternative plan to add “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” to the facade below “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” He also ruled that designating the grounds as Donald J. Trump Plaza violates congressional statute that the complex be a memorial to Kennedy.
The center’s attorneys have argued that giving Trump such recognition is essential to raising money to bring the institution out of financial straits.
In a draft resolution given to board members over the weekend, center officials said it was facing financial ruin, and the president had offered to “step in and raise the necessary funds to keep the Center from bankruptcy during its much needed renovation.” The resolution added that the board “is seeking to appropriately recognize and acknowledge President Trump for his well timed proffer of fiscal rescue. The Board understands that without such appropriate recognition it is unlikely that President Trump will provide the fundamental oversight of the renovation of the main building and lead the fiscal rescue of the Center.”
The center, represented by the DOJ, is appealing Cooper’s decision. Trump wrote that they would seek an expedited appeal.
Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the center, said in a statement, “The Board’s decision today reflects sound judgment and a clear prioritization of safety above all else. As the main building closes for urgent renovations — long overdue and desperately needed to protect the safety of patrons, artists and staff — the Center remains committed to pursuing a safe and efficient renovation through all legal means. We intend to appeal today’s Court ruling and move forward with recognizing Chairman President Trump’s historic contributions to the revitalization of America’s Cultural Center.”
The center has cited extensive repair work needed, including replacement of soffit panels, water damage repair and new electrical infrastructure. According to the center, the slab that fell weighed more than 150 pounds.
Beatty’s attorneys, Norm Eisen and Nathaniel Zelinsky, indicated that they would challenge the shutdown in court. They have pointed out that the judge’s injunction prohibiting the center’s closure remains in effect.
They said in a statement, “The unlawful renaming drove audiences and artists away. Now the Board has voted to shut down yet again to hide the terrible mismanagement under its current leadership.”
In a statement, Beatty said, “For years, the Kennedy Center has planned to undergo phased renovations, in which we both renovate and maintain some performances. This is how major performing arts centers in the country operate. But donors, patrons, and artists all fled after the unlawful attempt to rename this sacred memorial after Donald Trump. Donald Trump only cares about the Kennedy Center for his vanity. That is wrong and it is a breach of his fiduciary duty as a trustee. Congress established the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to President Kennedy, and I am proud to defend this cherished institution.”
Another reaction came from Kennedy’s niece, Maria Shriver, who wrote on X, “That a sitting president would not let any renovations to a public building go on unless he gets to first put his name in the said building… What a sad state of affairs. What a tragedy. Actually, how small minded, how narcissistic. Actually great men, devoted to public service and the public good do not act like this.”
