Kennedy Center Board Champions Major Renovation and Rightful Restoration of President Trump’s Name
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
The Kennedy Center board, led by President Trump and his appointees, has voted again to close the main building for a much-needed $250 million renovation and to restore President Donald Trump’s name to the entrance, despite obstruction from liberal lawmakers and activist lawsuits.
The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, under the strong leadership of President Donald Trump and his appointees, voted Thursday to close the main building for a vital two-year, $250 million renovation. The plan will keep the 2019 REACH addition open for select programming and as a tribute to President Kennedy, while the main campus receives essential structural repairs, elegant new marble flooring, and $12 million in state-of-the-art acoustic upgrades. The eight-foot bronze bust of Kennedy will be respectfully relocated during the process. In a historic and justified move, the board also voted to restore President Donald J. Trump’s name on the center’s entry, proudly labeling the venue 'Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.'
This decisive action follows a March vote that was temporarily blocked by a federal judge, after liberal activists and Democrat lawmakers attempted to derail the project with procedural complaints. The board’s latest vote, held via Zoom, demonstrates their commitment to progress despite ongoing judicial review and attempts to delay by those resistant to change.
Democratic legislators, who serve as ex-officio trustees, have continued to complain about the process, refusing to acknowledge the necessity of the renovation for the institution’s future. Multiple lawsuits, including one from Representative Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) to reverse the name restoration and halt the renovation, as well as actions from left-leaning architecture and culture groups, have sought to obstruct the board’s work. Nonetheless, the board remains steadfast in its mission to restore and improve the center.
Since the announcement of the Trump name restoration in December 2025, some resident organizations, such as the Washington National Opera, have chosen to leave, and the National Symphony Orchestra has reported financial strain—largely due to their own politicized decisions. A court order required the center to pay legal fees to a jazz musician who canceled a performance in protest, highlighting the politicization of the arts by the left.
A large tarp currently covers the building’s entrance, following a court order to remove Trump’s name, but with the board’s determination, the renovation is set to be completed by summer 2028, ensuring the Kennedy Center will be restored to its rightful place as a premier national institution.