U.S. President Donald Trump has Americans enraged after he announced a two-year closure of the Kennedy Center over the weekend. His Monday clarification about not “ripping down” the center only served to fuel the fire further.
“I’ll be using the steel. So we’re using the structure,” Trump said when asked by reporters outside the Oval Office if the building would be demolished.
Highlights
- Trump announced a two-year closure of the Kennedy Center for $200 million renovation, sparking public outrage and confusion over demolition plans.
- Despite claims the center won’t be demolished, many believe Trump intends to gut the structure, using the steel and some marble.
- Trump renamed the Kennedy Center to 'Trump Kennedy Center' after replacing board members with loyalists, sparking protests and cancellations.
- Sales dropped 36%, with single-ticket sales falling 50%, as artists and unions express concerns over closures and contract enforcement.
His response has since led many to believe that Trump does intend to gut the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the renovation process.
Trump said on Monday that he will not rip down the Kennedy Center structure for renovations
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“So we’re using the structure, we’re using some of the marble and some of the marble comes down, but when it’s open, it’ll be brand new and really beautiful,” Trump said.
Trump added that the project would cost about $200 million.
Trump, a former real estate developer, said, “you want to sit with something for a little while before you decide on what you want to do.”
He added about the Kennedy Center, “We sat with it. We ran it. It's in very bad shape.” He called the building “run down,” “dilapidated” and “sort of dangerous.”
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The Kennedy Center’s spokesperson, Roma Daravi, claimed on social media that “decades of gross negligence” have led to $250 million in deferred maintenance needs. Daravi added that temporarily closing the institution “is the most logical choice to allow for comprehensive renovations, efficient project completion, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.”
The announcement marks the next step in Trump’s effort to stamp his name on the cultural institution that was designated a living memorial to President Kennedy by Congress in 1971.
Shortly after taking office last year, Trump dismissed Kennedy Center board members, replaced them with loyalists, and then appointed himself as the chairman. Last year, the board voted to change the name of the Kennedy Center to the Trump Kennedy Center in what the administration calls a “unanimous” vote.
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The “unanimous” claim was challenged by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio member of the board, who said her microphone was “muted” when she tried to speak out against the name change. The same board will be approving the renovations at the center.
Five people familiar with the board of trustees’ activities told the Washington Post that at least some board members were blindsided by Trump’s announcement.
The renovation announcement comes after the Kennedy Center has seen a drop in sales and the cancellation of performances. Sales at the venue dropped 36% compared to last year, translating to a $1.6 million decline, The Washington Post reported earlier, and The New York Times reported that single-ticket sales fell by 50% in April and May 2025.
The name change also triggered a wave of protests and performance cancellations. Jazz musician Chuck Redd, jazz group The Cookers, dance company Doug Varone and Dancers, singer Kristy Lee, banjo player Béla Fleck, Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, and singer-songwriter Sonia De Los Santos are among the artists who canceled their upcoming events.
Trump announced on Sunday that the center will be closed for two years for renovations
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Kennedy Center Arts Workers United, which includes several unions representing the center’s arts workers, released a statement saying they were aware of Trump’s announcement, but have not received a formal notice or briefing about the plans.
“Should we receive formal notice of a temporary suspension of Kennedy Center operations that displaces our members, we will enforce our contracts and exercise all our rights under the law,” the statement said. “We expect continued fair pay, enforceable worker protections, and accountability for our members in the event they cannot work due to an operational pause.”
“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,” Trump had written on Truth Social on Sunday. “America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come.”
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Trump continued, “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!”
The renovation marks another attempt by Trump to leave his mark on the cultural and historical institutions since he began his second term. Last year, in a highly controversial move, he demolished the East Wing of the White House to make space for this $300 million ballroom project.
Trump is also actively pursuing the building of a triumphal arch on the other side of Arlington Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, and has plans for the Washington Dulles International Airport.
Opposition and Trump critics have taken to social media to criticize this announcement. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said, “This president is a joke. The guy is so insecure that he has to put his name on the center, and then when audiences and artists revolt, he closes it. How pathetic.”