Kennedy Center to Close for Two-Year Reconstruction, Trump Announces

Closure Announcement

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., will undergo a complete renovation and will be closed for approximately two years, President Trump announced in a social media post on Sunday. The full closure is set to begin on July 4.

According to the president, the decision to close the center completely rather than pursue partial construction plans follows a year of expert reviews. “The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!,” Trump stated on Truth Social. He emphasized that the renovation aims to transform the center, which he described as “tired, broken, and dilapidated,” into a “World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment.”

Performer Concerns

The announcement comes amid reports that several high-profile performers have withdrawn from engagement contracts with the center following Trump’s leadership change. Just days before the closure announcement, Trump hosted the premiere of a documentary about Melania Trump at the Kennedy Center.

Details regarding the scope of the renovations and what “Complete Rebuilding” entails remain unclear. Last year, Trump oversaw the demolition of part of the East Wing of the White House to make way for a new ballroom, the construction of which is currently contested in an ongoing lawsuit.

Staff Response and Board Changes

Kennedy Center staff were informed about the renovation plans through Trump’s social media update on Sunday evening. start senior staff member, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to restrictions on public comments, said, “I don’t know what any of it means.”

Trump noted that the closure of the Kennedy Center is subject to approval by its board members. He previously removed several board members in February, replacing them with close allies who subsequently named him chair. In December, the board voted to rename the institution as the Trump-Kennedy Center, provoking backlash from Democratic lawmakers who argue that legislative action is required to change the center’s name, given its establishment by Congress.

CBS News has reached out to the Kennedy Center for additional comments.

By Ed O’Keefe, CBS News.