Kennedy Center Board Votes to Close Venue Amid Legal Battle Over Trump's Name
The Kennedy Center board voted to close the Washington venue after a federal judge ruled Trump cannot add his name to it without congressional approval. The closure follows a bitter culture-war takeover and dramatic programming shifts.
The ongoing saga over Donald Trump's attempts to take over the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—an iconic Washington, D.C. venue named after the assassinated 35th U.S. president—escalated on Tuesday when the center's board of directors, whose majority was appointed by Trump, voted to close the facility. The decision came hours after a federal judge ruled once again that Trump's name cannot be added to the center. Trump's name had previously been appended to the center but was removed by court order in June after it was determined that such a change requires congressional approval.
Since then, Trump and his allies have continued to demand the name change, with the president explicitly threatening that without the inclusion of his name, he will withhold funding for its renovation—a project the closure is purportedly meant to facilitate. The turbulence surrounding the Kennedy Center has drawn extensive coverage in American media and, in the eyes of the president's critics, serves as a prime example of his focus on promoting his name and stamping his personal mark at any cost, while enacting dramatic changes to various symbols of the capital.
Culture Wars and Financial Toll
During his first term, Trump showed little special interest in the cultural institution, but upon returning to the White House last year, he moved to take it over. He replaced members of the board with loyal supporters who subsequently elected Trump himself as chairman. Trump criticized both the content presented at the venue and its physical appearance, promising a comprehensive overhaul of both. The new leadership canceled drag shows and other LGBTQ+-centric events, promoting Christian artist performances and religious freedom conferences instead.
This shift in the performance schedule was part of Trump's promise to turn the center into a symbol of the anti-woke culture he champions. However, this takeover prompted many artists to boycott the venue, forcing the Washington National Opera and the National Symphony Orchestra to find alternative halls, resulting in a sharp plunge in revenues.
Legal Battles and Boardroom Clash
Controversy deepened late last year when the administration announced the board's decision to rename the facility the "Trump-Kennedy Center," pushing the assassinated president's name to second place. Despite protests, staff altered the exterior signage. In May, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled the renaming illegal without congressional approval. Although staff removed the name in June, scaffolding and a white cover have remained over the facade for months.
On Tuesday, Judge Cobb reaffirmed that any alternative commemorative displays, such as "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump," remain unlawful without congressional consent. Shortly after the ruling, the board voted to close the facility, citing severe safety hazards. CNN reported that the board meeting was exceptionally turbulent, with Trump participating via phone and clashing with Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, whose lawsuit thwarted the changes.
"It was f***ing crazy!" said one source regarding the heated exchange between Trump and Beatty, during which Trump reportedly yelled and Beatty accused him of driving the center into debt.
While the administration plans to ask the court to lift a previous injunction blocking the closure, Trump made it clear that full-scale renovations remain contingent on the legal battle over his name. "If the ruling is negative... the restoration and renovation of the Kennedy Center will not take place," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that $17 million he raised has been transferred to the center.
