Donald Trump said the Kennedy Center will close for two years and a ‘complete rebuilding’ will take place following a wave of artist cancellations at the venue.
The president – who renamed the building ‘The Trump Kennedy Center – said on Truth Social Sunday night that a ‘revitalization’ needs to take place at the arts center.
‘I have determined that The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World.’
The decision, Trump explained, came after a ‘one year review’ among ‘contractors, musical experts, art institutions’ and other advisors to determine whether the building needed to close during renovations.
‘In other words, if we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!’
Trump said the center will close on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
He added that financing is ‘completed and fully in place’ for the renovations and the two-year closing is the ‘fastest way’ to bring the center ‘to the highest level of success, beauty and grandeur.’
‘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, far better than it has ever been before,’ he said.
Donald Trump (above) attending the premiere of the documentary Melania at the Kennedy Center
Trump said they will close for two years for ‘complete rebuilding’ following a wave of artists canceling performances at the venue
‘America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come.’
‘Our goal has always been to not only save and permanently preserve the Center, but to make it the finest Arts Institution in the world,’ Executive Director Richard Grenell said in a post, citing funds Congress approved for repairs.
‘This will be a brief closure,’ Grenell said. ‘It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center 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 Daily Mail has reached out to a spokesperson for The Trump Kennedy Center comment.
Most recently, the venue hosted the MAGA star-studded premiere of the hit documentary ‘Melania.’
However, it’s been a tumultuous year at the Kennedy Center, following Trump’s move early in his second term to oust the center’s previous leadership, install political allies, and name himself chairman of the board.
Under Grenell, the Kennedy Center has pushed to make productions revenue neutral and has taken a more aggressive posture toward artists who cancel.
Grenell has also signaled an ideological agenda, including opposition to what Trump has called ‘anti-American propaganda.’
In a social media post announcing Grenell’s appointment last year Trump tweeted: ‘Ric shares my Vision for a golden age of American Arts and Culture… No more drag shows, or other anti-American propaganda.’
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New signage, The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, is unveiled on the Kennedy Center
Most recently, the venue hosted the MAGA star-studded premiereof the hit documentary ‘Melania’
That shift became impossible to ignore last month when the board approved a rebranding that added Trump’s name to the building – a move that triggered a new wave of artist cancellations and donor backlash.
Artists ranging from Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to rock star Peter Wolf have called off events at the Kennedy Center since the leadership overhaul. Others followed after the renaming, turning the Kennedy Center into a flashpoint in the culture wars.
Most recently, award-winning composer Philip Glass called off the forthcoming debut of his Symphony No. 15, ‘Lincoln,’ themed after the nation’s 16th president.
‘Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony,’ Glass wrote in a statement on X on Tuesday.
‘Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.’
A handful of creatives have cancelled performances at the arts venue, a list that has continued to grow steadily since the Center’s board voted to add Trump’s name to the building in December.
The Kennedy Center’s name change was poorly received by many members of the Kennedy Family, including former President John F. Kennedy’s niece Kerry Kennedy, who pledged to take a ‘pickax’ to the letters forming Trump’s name on the building after he leaves office.
This past week, the newly-hired head of artistic programming at the Kennedy Center abruptly stepped away from his post less than two weeks after he was named to the job in the latest sign of turmoil at the iconic performing arts venue.
The Kennedy Center announced in a January 16 press release that Kevin Couch would join the venue as senior vice president of artistic programming.
But he confirmed in an email on Thursday that he resigned from the role on Wednesday without providing an explanation for the development.
