President Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday after returning from a trip to Florida. He says he will close the Kennedy Center for two years for renovations.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
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Mark Schiefelbein/AP
WASHINGTON – President Trump said Sunday that he will close Washington’s Kennedy Center performing arts center for two years starting in July for construction, his latest move to improve the historic venue since returning to the White House.
Trump’s social media announcement follows a wave of cancellations by prominent artists and groups since the president ousted previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump did not mention the recent cancellations in his post.
His proposal, announced days after the premiere of Melaniaa documentary about the first lady, was screened at the center and, she said, was subject to approval by the Kennedy Center’s board of directors, which has been staffed with its carefully selected allies. Trump himself chairs the center’s board of directors.
“This important decision, based on the input of many highly respected experts, will take a tired, broken and dilapidated downtown, which has been in poor condition, both financially and structurally, for many years, and turn it into a world-class bastion of arts, music and entertainment,” Trump wrote in his post.
Neither Trump nor Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell, a Trump ally, have provided evidence to support their claims that the building is in disrepair.
The sudden decision is sure to spark backlash as Trump upgrades the popular venue, which began as a national cultural center but was renamed by Congress as a “living memorial” to President John F. Kennedy in 1964 after the assassinated president’s death. Opened in 1971, it is open year-round as a public showcase for the arts, including the National Symphony Orchestra.
Since Trump returned to the White House, the Kennedy Center is one of many Washington landmarks that has sought to leave its mark on his second term. He demolished the East Wing of the White House and launched a massive $400 million ballroom project, is actively working on building a triumphal arch across the Arlington Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, and has plans for Washington Dulles International Airport.
Major performing arts groups have withdrawn from performances, most recently composer Philip Glass, who announced his decision to withdraw his 15th “Lincoln” Symphony because he said the center’s values today are in “direct conflict” with the message of the piece.
Last month, the Washington National Opera announced it would move its performances out of the Kennedy Center, in another high-profile departure following Trump’s takeover of the US capital’s main performing arts venue.
The center’s head of arts programming abruptly left his position last week, less than two weeks after being named to the position.
A Kennedy Center spokesperson did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
When Trump announced his plan to rename the building (by erecting his name on the main front of the building), it generated strong opposition from members of Congress and some members of the Kennedy family.
Kerry Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s niece, said in a social post on X at the time that she herself will remove Trump’s name with a beak when his term ends.