Trump said the Kennedy Center will not reopen unless efforts to rename the institution in his honor are allowed to proceed.
US President Donald Trump has closed the Kennedy Center after a federal judge blocked an attempt to rename the institution after him, saying the cultural center will not reopen if the courts continue to prevent the change.
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Trump announced the decision Wednesday on his Truth Social platform, rejecting plans to renovate the building and writing that the work “will not happen.” He also said the center would remain closed unless the legal obstacles to changing its name were removed.
The Kennedy Center’s board approved the immediate closure one day after the ruling, citing safety concerns and the need for extensive repairs to the building. The shutdown has led to canceled performances and a decline in ticket revenue.
The Kennedy Center Board voted nearly unanimously to close the building immediately for safety reasons and prepare for reconstruction. Renovation cannot begin until the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name.
In the meantime, $17M raised by President Trump has been… pic.twitter.com/TUKpKQxfJ5
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 16, 2026
Opened in 1971 as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy, the institution is one of the United States’ major cultural centers. Its program includes theater, ballet, modern dance, jazz, popular music festivals and major Broadway productions.
Federal Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the latest attempt to rename the center after Trump on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The ruling followed an earlier decision that found changing the institution’s name requires congressional approval.
Trump’s name was first added to the building’s facade in 2025. In May of that year, a federal judge ordered it removed after ruling that the name could not be changed without approval from Congress.
In August, the board again approved a change to the facade, this time adding an inscription reading, “restored and renovated by President Donald J. Trump.” The effort was blocked by the court on Sept. 15, prompting the board to close the building.
Photo: @thehill
The board, whose leadership was reshaped by Trump and which he also took over in January 2025, has cited the building’s deteriorated condition and the need for major repairs. It has argued that the funds required for the work can be raised only if the institution bears the Republican leader’s name.
Trump’s efforts to rename the center have unfolded alongside his criticism of its programming, which he has described as “woke,” or progressive.
The Kennedy Center will remain closed as the dispute over its name continues, with Trump maintaining that the institution will not reopen if the courts block efforts to add his name.
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