Trump-Aligned Kennedy Center Board Votes To Close Venue For Two Years After Judge Blocks Name

The Kennedy Center board voted to close the performing arts centre for two years after a US judge blocked it from adding President Donald Trump’s name back to the building, with the decision coming less than an hour after the judge’s written order.

“the board voted "almost unanimously" to close the venue "for safety reasons"”

BBC

The BBC reported that the board, chaired by Trump and including his cabinet members and allies, approved a resolution in August to add the inscription "Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. BTrump" to the venue.

ABC News

Trump wrote on Truth Social that the board voted "almost unanimously" to close the venue "for safety reasons" and said renovations cannot begin until the court rules on the Board’s approved name.

The BBC said the centre could still stay open despite Tuesday’s vote, because it cannot close unless the federal judge, Christopher Cooper, lifts a temporary block put in place in May requiring it to stay open while a lawsuit brought by board member Joyce Beatty goes ahead.B

Reuters said the board voted to shut down the iconic performing arts venue for up to two years for repairs, describing the renovation as a $257 million project that Trump later threatened to block unless federal courts allow his name to be added to the building.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper wrote that "Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing," and the BBC said the judge’s order came as the board prepared to vote on closure.B

CBS News reported that Rep. CJoyce Beatty of Ohio alleged in a statement that the president "verbally berated" her ahead of Tuesday’s vote, while CBS said Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called into the board’s meeting.

BBC

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the board voted "almost unanimously" to close the riverside landmark "for Safety reasons, and so that I can begin the process of Reconstruction," according to The Guardian.

The Guardian also quoted Beatty saying Trump’s efforts reflected the president’s "vanity" and a " breach of his fiduciary duty as a trustee," and it said Beatty blamed the unlawful renaming for driving audiences and artists away.

NPR said Trump immediately vowed to cancel a planned renovation unless the decision about adding his name is reversed by a higher court, quoting Trump’s warning that "the Renovation and Reconstruction" cannot begin until the D.C. Circuit rules and would not take place if a negative ruling is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The NBC News report said the Trump administration appealed the judge’s ruling Tuesday night and that the board cited its "dire" financial and structural shape, while it also pointed to a partial ceiling collapse in the center’s Grand Foyer as evidence the building needed immediate closure.

“would not be able to cover payroll obligations and routine maintenance contracts "within a matter of weeks"”

BBC

Reuters said the board warned the center’s finances are so shaky that it may soon not be able to honor payroll obligations or maintenance contracts, and it described the decision as part of a broader effort to reshape programming after Trump regained the White House.

NPR reported that the REACH extension would remain open, and it said the board wrote in documents filed with the federal court that it intends to make allowances for two of the center’s signature programs and for the National Symphony Orchestra.

The BBC said the Kennedy Center administration told the board on Sunday that the arts institution was on the brink of bankruptcy and would not be able to cover payroll obligations and routine maintenance contracts "within a matter of weeks," while Trump said it was in a "virtual state of collapse".B

The Guardian reported that Trump threatened to block a $257m renovation project unless federal courts allowed his name to be placed on the front of the building, tying the dispute over memorial language to whether the renovation can begin.