President Trump said that he will close Washington’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years, starting this July. The closure is meant for major construction and renovation work. This surprise announcement is the latest move by the president to make big changes to the historic building since he came back to the White House.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Trump shared the news on social media, saying the closure is needed because the center is in terrible shape. He wrote that this important decision was based on advice from highly respected experts. He said it will “take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment.”
Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell, a strong supporter of Trump, defended the plan. He said the temporary closure will actually speed things up. Grenell mentioned that Congress had already approved money for repairs, and closing the doors “just makes sense – it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive. It also means we will be finished faster.”
The timing and reasoning behind this closure raise serious questions
However, the speed of this decision has raised eyebrows. Neither Trump nor Grenell has shown any real proof that the building is failing structurally or financially. This move is confusing because back in October, the president promised that the center would stay open during renovations. Now, he says construction will start on July 4, requiring a full shutdown.
The announcement came right after the center hosted the premiere of Melania, a documentary about the first lady. But it also follows a wave of cancellations by leading performers and arts groups. Many organizations have been pulling out since Trump began changing the center’s leadership and, most controversially, added his name to the building’s front, ahead of President Kennedy’s name.
Recently, composer Philip Glass announced he was withdrawing his Symphony No. 15 Lincoln because he felt the center’s current values were in “direct conflict” with the message of his piece. The venue’s leadership responded with a shocking threat to a musician after he pulled his performance. Last month, the Washington National Opera said it would move its shows away from the venue. The head of artistic programming also suddenly left his job last week, less than two weeks after being named to the position.
The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 as a public showcase for the arts. Congress renamed it in 1964 as a “living memorial” to President Kennedy, who strongly supported the arts. The Kennedy family is furious about how the center is being managed. Maria Shriver, President Kennedy’s niece, previously called the renaming effort “beyond comprehension.” Shriver recently posted a comment copying Trump’s writing style, suggesting the closure is meant to distract from the real problem.
She claimed that because “entertainers are canceling left and right” and “no one wants to perform there any longer” since the name change, the president decided to “close this center down and rebuild a new center” with his name on it. Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat, sued over the controversial renaming decision in December, arguing that only Congress can rename the Kennedy Center, not the president.
Published: Feb 2, 2026 12:15 pm