Kennedy Center Board Votes to Close Immediately for Renovations Amid Legal Battles

The board of the Kennedy Center, composed largely of appointees aligned with President Donald Trump, voted Tuesday to immediately close the performing arts venue for extensive renovations. The decision follows sustained pressure from the president and his allies, who warned that the institution faces both financial collapse and physical deterioration without urgent intervention.

President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose wife Allison serves on the board, joined the meeting by call, according to a source familiar with the proceedings. The move comes after more than a year of the administration pushing for a overhaul of the center’s programming and efforts to add Trump’s name to the building.

Tensions flared during the meeting, with Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat and one of the few board members who has sued to block the changes, alleging that Trump verbally attacked her prior to the vote. Beatty stated that the president “verbally berated” her and engaged in a “heated debate” where she took objection to his language. “I am educated, I’m intelligent, I can read, and I am not doing this for any other reason than it’s unlawful,” Beatty said.

The legal backdrop to the closure is complex. Earlier Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper issued another ruling preventing the board from installing memorials or inscriptions for Trump at the center without congressional approval. This followed an August board vote to add the phrase “Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump” beneath the Kennedy Center name. Cooper ruled that such additions require Congress’s blessing.

In May, Judge Cooper had already ruled that Trump’s name was illegally added to the facade and ordered its removal. Since then, the exterior wall bearing the center’s name has been hidden behind tarp-covered scaffolding. Cooper also previously blocked the administration from closing the venue for renovations.

Justice Department lawyers argued in court filings that the center is in a “financial and structural death spiral” due to its dilapidated condition and recent monetary losses. They described the living memorial to President John F. Kennedy as dangerously outdated and decrepit, necessitating closure for repairs. Congress had previously approved $250 million for the renovation project last December.

Following the board vote, Trump posted on Truth Social that construction would not commence until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rules on the Justice Department’s appeal of Cooper’s latest order. He warned that if the ruling remains negative and is not overturned by the Supreme Court, the renovation will not happen. Trump also claimed he has raised $17 million in private donations to keep the center operational, though he did not disclose the source of the funds.

The White House responded to Beatty’s allegations by accusing Democratic critics of neglecting the center. Spokesperson Davis Ingle stated, “President Trump stepped up to save it, and Trump-deranged Dumocrats like Joyce Beatty oppose anything that celebrates the greatness of our country because they put America Last.”