Kennedy Center board votes to close as judge bars adding Trump's name

Kennedy Center board votes to close as judge bars adding Trump's name

Update: Donald Trump’s hand-picked Kennedy Center board members voted to close the building for repairs on September 15, 2026, after a federal judge reiterated that the venue cannot bear his name without congressional approval. The decision came hours after Trump threatened to cancel the “Renovation and Reconstruction” project unless courts overturned the ruling, stating, “If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place.”

Trump reportedly called into the board vote and confronted Rep. Joyce Beatty, the Democrat who initiated the legal battle over the rebranding efforts. A source described the exchange as “f***ing crazy,” while Beatty condemned the board’s actions as an “unlawfulness” that “needs to stop.” The judge’s latest order, issued by U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper, reaffirmed that the Kennedy Center — a federally designated living memorial to President John F. Kennedy — cannot alter its name or grounds without congressional approval. Cooper emphasized that the board’s attempts to rebrand the venue, including proposals to rename the plaza “President Donald J. Trump Plaza” or inscribe “Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump” on the facade, violated existing statutes.

The closure vote followed administrators’ warnings that the center faced “imminent financial collapse” within weeks, with unpaid payroll obligations and maintenance contracts exacerbating its instability. A memo circulated to the board before the vote described the main building’s physical plant as unsafe, though it did not outline specific structural deficiencies. The board also acknowledged that ticket sales had plummeted and many prominent artists had canceled appearances, citing concerns over the venue’s politicization under Trump’s influence. A skeletal staff had already been reduced, with most administrative personnel either fired or having left.

The board’s decision to close the main building has drawn sharp criticism from Beatty, who argued that Trump’s insistence on public recognition had “held the Kennedy Center hostage.” Her attorney, Norm Eisen, called the board’s vote “more of the same failure and abuse” and vowed to challenge the closure in court. The board, which Trump chairs, has framed the closure as a necessary step to secure $100 million in private funding for renovations. However, the proposed “Trump Kennedy Center Fund” has yet to raise any money, according to Cooper’s ruling. The board has argued that Trump’s financial support is critical for the project, but critics have questioned the feasibility of such a fundraising effort without public recognition.

Internal documents suggest the venue’s financial meltdown coincided with Trump’s takeover, contradicting the Justice Department’s earlier claims that the president was overseeing its financial renaissance. The DOJ had previously argued that the Kennedy Center would “deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down” without Trump’s name on the building. A draft resolution states that the venue “is in a dire financial position” and has “exhausted its fiscal resources” that could force its imminent closure, unless Trump can “step in and raise the necessary funds to keep the Center from bankruptcy during its much needed renovation.”

The Kennedy Center also faces ongoing legal challenges over its attempt to rebrand the venue. In May, Judge Cooper ruled that Congress made it “crystal clear” that the building is only to be named after the assassinated president, “and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial” based on a “unilateral say-so.” The venue briefly displayed “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts” in June, but construction crews removed the name plates in the early morning hours of June 13. A massive white tarp and scaffolding still cover the entrance, fueling speculation that the name was never fully removed or that the scaffolding was left in place as part of the board’s legal strategy.

The board’s latest agenda included 10 ways to return Trump’s name to the building’s facade, but the item was abruptly removed, focusing instead on the closure. Attorneys for Beatty argued that the board was illegally flouting the judge’s order against returning Trump’s name on the building in a “breathtaking act of defiance.” Meanwhile, the Justice Department continues to assert that the Kennedy Center is falling into “financial ruin” and “terminal decline,” with Trump as its “sole hope” for survival. The next major development in the legal battle could come from the Supreme Court, which has not yet ruled on the case. The board has vowed to appeal the judge’s decision, while the DOJ has indicated it may seek an expedited review. If the appeal is denied, the board may face pressure to negotiate a compromise with Congress or find alternative funding sources, though the path forward remains unclear.