President Trump announced the Kennedy Center will close for two years starting July 4, 2026, for renovations. The decision follows artist cancellations and backlash over Trump renaming the venue and replacing leadership. Critics, including lawmakers and Kennedy family members, say the move threatens the center’s legacy and independence.
Quick Look
- Trump Orders 2-Year Closure: Kennedy Center to shut down in July 2026 for major renovations.
- Performer Backlash: High-profile artists, including Philip Glass, pull out amid Trump’s renaming and leadership overhaul.
- Political Fallout: Critics say the closure masks declining support; Kennedy family and Congress push back on name change and independence concerns.
Kennedy Center to Close for Two Years in July for Renovations, Trump Announces
Deep Look
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will close for two years starting July 4, 2026, for major renovations, sparking controversy among performers, lawmakers, and the arts community. The announcement follows mounting backlash from prominent artists and organizations protesting the venue’s recent politicization and leadership shake-up.
Trump, who currently chairs the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, made the announcement on social media, describing the venue as “tired, broken, and dilapidated” and in need of a total overhaul. He did not address the wave of performer cancellations that have plagued the venue since he renamed the building and ousted its previous leadership.
A Sudden Shift in Strategy
The decision marks a reversal from Trump’s October 2025 pledge to keep the center open during renovations. Now, the plan is to fully shutter the institution for what Trump described as a “brief closure” to expedite and expand the scope of construction. Ric Grenell, the center’s new president and Trump ally, echoed that message, saying the closure will allow for “comprehensive historic renovations.”
No evidence has been provided by Trump or Grenell supporting claims that the building is structurally compromised. Critics argue that the decision to close the Kennedy Center is more about optics and political control than infrastructure.
Growing Backlash from Artists and Lawmakers
Performers have increasingly distanced themselves from the Kennedy Center following Trump’s changes. Composer Philip Glass recently canceled a scheduled performance, stating the institution now contradicts the message of his Symphony No. 15, “Lincoln.” The Washington National Opera also pulled out of its scheduled season at the venue.
This wave of exits has been compounded by high-level resignations within the center’s leadership, including the abrupt departure of the newly appointed head of artistic programming.
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), a congressional trustee of the Kennedy Center board, condemned the move as a power grab. “Trump has acted with total disregard for Congress,” she said Sunday, stressing that only Congress can authorize a name change or allocate major funding for the institution.
Controversial Rebranding and Political Tensions
The Kennedy Center was established in 1971 as a national cultural center and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Late last year, Trump sparked outrage by adding his name to the front of the building, placing it ahead of Kennedy’s. Members of the Kennedy family and Democratic lawmakers fiercely opposed the move.
Kerry Kennedy, a niece of JFK, vowed to remove Trump’s name with a pickaxe once he leaves office. Maria Shriver, another family member, said renaming the Kennedy Center was “beyond wild.”
Shriver responded again late Sunday, accusing the Trump administration of closing the venue to deflect from the exodus of artists. She wrote that the closure is a cover-up for the fact that “entertainers are canceling left and right” and suggested it was a ploy to rebuild the center under Trump’s name.
Bigger Picture: A Broader Cultural Overhaul
The Kennedy Center isn’t the only Washington landmark to see drastic changes in Trump’s second term. He’s led a $400 million renovation of the White House’s East Wing to build a new ballroom, proposed a triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial, and has unveiled ambitious plans for Washington Dulles International Airport.
Lawmakers and artists argue that these changes are part of a larger cultural power shift — one that prioritizes branding and legacy over artistic independence.
Rep. Beatty said, “Remodeling the premises will not restore the Kennedy Center to what it was. A return to artistic independence will. America’s artists are rejecting this attempted takeover, and the administration knows it.”
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