WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Sunday he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center performing arts venue for two years starting in July for construction.
Trump’s announcement on social media Sunday night follows a wave of cancelations since Trump ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancelations.
Trump announced his plan days after the premiere of “Melania” a documentary of the first lady was shown at the storied venue. The proposal, he said, is subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Center, which has been stocked with his hand-picked allies. Trump himself chairs the center’s board of trustees.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the premiere of her movie "Melania" at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts on Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP)
“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, 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,” Trump wrote in his post.
Leading performing arts groups have pulled out of appearances, most recently, composer Philip Glass, who announced his decision to withdraw his Symphony No. 15 “Lincoln” because he said the values of the center today are in “direct conflict” with the message of the piece.
Earlier this month, the Washington National Opera announced that it will move performances away from the Kennedy Center in another high-profile departure following Trump’s takeover of the US capital’s leading performing arts venue.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
