The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted Tuesday to immediately close the Washington, D.C. complex for a two-year renovation. The emergency shutdown follows a federal judge’s ruling blocking President Donald Trump’s name from the facade and a public standoff over funding and structural repairs.
President Donald Trump’s 19-month effort to exert control over the national cultural institution reached a turning point on Tuesday as its board voted to immediately close the building for a two-year renovation. The roughly $250 million overhaul became the focal point of a bitter legal and political dispute after Trump publicly threatened to block repairs unless his name was added to the building.
The board’s action came just hours after a federal judge in Washington rejected the institution’s latest attempt to display Trump’s name on its exterior. The Trump administration appealed that ruling late Tuesday night, setting the stage for another high-stakes battle in the D.C. Circuit.
Board Votes for Immediate Closure Following Ceiling Collapse
Trustees cited deteriorating infrastructure and a dangerous financial state as the primary drivers behind the emergency vote. A partial ceiling collapse in the building’s Grand Foyer earlier this month added urgency to the decision.
A construction consultant and the center’s director warned that the main building is unsafe for continued occupancy, according to a draft resolution circulated before the vote by the board.
The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C.
President Donald Trump, via NBC News
Trump added on social media that if the appeals court rules against the board and the Supreme Court does not overturn it, the renovation will not take place. He also noted that $17 million raised by his efforts had been deposited into the Kennedy Center account to keep it afloat.
Legal Standoff Over Presidential Naming Rights and Demolition Threats
The dispute centers on whether the board can bypass Congress to memorialize Trump. Established by Congress as a living memorial and opened in 1971, the Kennedy Center is legally bound to honor President John F. Kennedy alone.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled once again on Tuesday that the board cannot install memorials without congressional approval. The latest rejection followed an August vote where trustees sought to rename the exterior The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump
and designate the surrounding plaza the President Donald J. Trump Plaza.
The legal battle previously took an aggressive turn when lawyers for the US president warned in a court filing that failure to complete the repairs could leave the center as an unsafe structure requiring demolition, with proposals to build an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River in its place.
Financial Distress and Leadership Shuffling Behind the Scenes
Behind the closure vote lies a severe fiscal crisis.
Critics, including Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, have pushed back against the board’s actions. Beatty, an ex officio board member who has led legal challenges against the renaming scheme, engaged in a testy exchange with Trump during the virtual board meeting over Zoom.
What Lies Ahead in the Courts
Circuit prepares to weigh the administration’s appeal regarding the naming rights.