Trump Says Kennedy Center Will Stay Closed Until Court Approves His Name on It

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The Kennedy Center’s board has voted to shut down after a judge rejected yet another bid to add President Donald Trump’s name to the once venerated facility, according to a report. Trump quickly added the center will stay closed and no renovations will take place until his name is added to the building.

The Trump-allied board, stacked with those loyal to the president, made the decision nearly immediately after Judge Christopher Cooper once again ruled against their efforts to slap Trump’s name on the building, sources told the Associated Press.

Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick took part in the board meeting, sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told the AP.

Trump reacted to the news, posting on Truth Social Tuesday:

The Board of The Kennedy Center today agreed, almost unanimously, to close the Building for Safety reasons, and so that it can begin the process of Reconstruction. 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. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name. 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. The attorneys from the DOJ will ask for an expedited appeal. In the meantime, 17 Million Dollars, raised by President Trump, has been put into The Kennedy Center account to keep it afloat. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

The center has claimed the building is in dire need of renovation and struggling financially.

Earlier this month the center posted pictures on X showing a hole in the lobby ceiling and debris and broken wood littering the red carpet in the entryway to the building, according to the pictures and video posted on X.

“Another warning we can’t ignore. A section of the Grand Foyer ceiling collapsed after this week’s storms. Thankfully no one was hurt,” the Kennedy Center posted on Sept. 5. “Decades of deferred maintenance made this inevitable.”

A single board member, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), sued in December to challenge what she called the center’s “illegal renaming” after Trump put his name on the outside of the building.

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