Kennedy Center Board Votes to Close Venue Amid Ongoing Legal Dispute Over Trump Naming
The Kennedy Center’s board approved an immediate shutdown for a two-year, $250 million renovation, while a federal judge barred the addition of President Trump’s name to the building’s facade.
The Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted Tuesday to close the venue immediately for a two-year, $250 million renovation. The decision follows a federal judge’s ruling that the center cannot install a memorial or rename the building after President Donald Trump without congressional approval.
Judge Christopher Cooper issued a 22-page opinion stating, "Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing." The judge has not ordered the shutdown, but his preliminary injunction against the closure will likely be contested in court.
Trump warned on his Truth Social platform that the renovation would not proceed without his name on the facade, saying the reconstruction would be halted if the ruling is not overturned.
Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio board member who sued to block the name change, said donors and artists have left the center after the attempted renaming. > "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," Beatty said in a statement.
Board documents circulated over the weekend described the center as facing severe fiscal strain and alleged safety issues, including a recent leak that caused ceiling plaster to detach. Beatty’s legal team contested those claims, noting that the consulting firm cited did not provide an opinion on building safety.
The board said programming will continue at the Reach expansion and offsite venues, including the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, while the National Symphony Orchestra performs elsewhere.
The closure vote adds to a series of legal battles that began after Trump dismissed the previous board in February 2025 and appointed himself chairman, prompting an exodus of artists and a contentious rebranding effort.