President Donald Trump announced the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is closing for a full renovation and rebuilding. He said in a post on social media the closure will begin July 4 and last about two years.
Trump said temporarily shutting down the venue will allow for a “complete revitalization,” He also claimed the project would turn it into “the finest performing arts facility of its kind.”
What we know about the project
In his post, Trump said the center has been under review for a year, and the choice was between temporarily closing completely or “Partial Construction while continuing Entertainment Operations through a much longer period of time, working in and around the Performances.”
Trump said the move still needs to be approved by the center’s board, which he chairs.
The president promises there will be a grand reopening once the remodel is complete. He also said the financing for the project has already been secured, though no cost estimate was provided nor did he explain where the money is coming from.
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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts officially opened on September 8, 1971.
Just the latest change
The announcement follows a series of dramatic changes at the Kennedy Center under Trump’s leadership.
Last year, he fired multiple board members and replaced them with administration officials, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Second Lady Usha Vance, and installed himself as chairman
Months later, the board unanimously voted to rename the venue the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” That move sparked backlash in the arts community, with several performers canceling scheduled appearances.
A Washington Post report later revealed that in May 2025, the board changed the rules so board members appointed by Congress, known as ex officio members, do not get to vote or count toward a quorum.
It is unclear whether the board can legally change the center’s name, as federal law requires congressional approval to change it. Ex officio trustee and Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty is suing Trump and the center’s board over the renaming.
Already drawing backlash
The latest decision to close and renovate the Kennedy Center is already drawing backlash.
Beatty released a statement Sunday saying, “Once again, Donald Trump has acted with total disregard for Congress. The Kennedy Center is congressionally funded, and Congress should have been consulted on any decision to shut down its operations or undertake major renovations, especially for a two-year period.”
The top Democrat on the House subcommittee that oversees funding for the Kennedy Center, Maine’s Chellie Pingree, posted a video on social media accusing the president just “covering up the financial disaster he’s created” for the Kennedy Center.
In an interview, Pingree said her staff is seeking a legal opinion on whether the president can make the call on closing the center without congressional approval.
Maria Shriver, one of President John F. Kennedy’s nieces, shared Trump’s post with her own “translation” of President Trump’s post and the reason behind the closure.
