President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he has determined that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington should close for about two years.
Trump, who wrote on Truth Social that the decision is “totally subject” to approval by his handpicked board, said that the center will close on July 4 and that “financing is completed, and fully in place.” He did not elaborate on where the funding came from. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on questions about the funding.
Trump added that the decision was made based on a review that involved “Contractors, Musical Experts, Art Institutions, and other Advisors and Consultants,” who were weighing construction with closure and re-opening or partial construction while entertainment operations continued.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Trump’s announcement, what the center’s board thinks of the issue or what would happen to the center’s existing programming.
Trump said that the closure will “produce a much faster and higher quality result,” that the Kennedy Center can be “the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind” and that there will be a “Grand Reopening” after the renovation.
He called the Kennedy Center — where the premiere of first lady Melania Trump's documentary was held last week — “tired, broken, and dilapidated,” adding that it “has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years.”
Trump has taken a special interest in the Kennedy Center since he returned to office last year. He replaced the center’s board with a handpicked set of members who named him chair and changed programming at the center, including removing Pride events.
Late last year, the board moved to rename the center to include Trump’s name. It was then affixed to the facade — before President John F. Kennedy’s name — a day later.
The renaming drew criticism from Kennedy family members and members of Congress. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who is on the board as an ex officio member, sued the administration for changing the center’s name, claiming it was not a lawful move, as the center was established by legislation.
In a statement Sunday, Beatty blasted Trump's announcement to temporarily close the center, saying he "has acted with a total disregard for Congress."
"The Kennedy Center is congressionally funded, and Congress should have been consulted about any decision to shut down its operations or make major renovations, especially for two years," Beatty wrote, and questioned what would happen to employees, artists and others who hold agreements with the facility.
"And let’s be clear: remodeling the premises won’t restore the Kennedy Center to what it was. But a return to artistic independence will," she added.
Since the renaming, a flurry of artists have canceled their appearances at the center, including the composer of the hit musical “Wicked,” Stephen Schwartz, who dropped out from hosting a gala for the Washington National Opera. The opera has since left the center, where it had performed since 1971.
Trump has frequently discussed remodeling the Kennedy Center, arguing that the theater was poorly maintained and in desperate need of repairs, some of which are already underway.
Trump’s first visit to the Kennedy Center this term was on March 17, when he participated in a board meeting and toured the facilities. Talking to reporters from the President’s Box, he said: “We are going to make a lot of changes, including the seats, the decor, pretty much everything. Needs a lot of work.”
In May, during a Kennedy Center Board dinner, he spoke about how he is “fixing everything,” including the Kennedy Center.
“I don’t know what the hell they were doing, but they spent a lot of money, and it’s just not possible that they could have spent it so poorly. But we’re going to turn it around. That’s what I love doing,” Trump said.
After he announced the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees, Trump took another tour of the Kennedy Center. White House aide Margo Martin posted a photo of Trump on the concert hall stage with the caption, "President @realDonaldTrump tours the Kennedy Center to discuss renovations.”
During the Kennedy Center Honors in December, Trump said the money raised that night would go toward renovating the venue.
“You know, we raised a lot of money tonight, tremendous, record numbers of dollars, a lot of money," he said.
