Once a long beloved institution, the future of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts now appears to hang in the balance as President Donald Trump pushes for an overhaul.
The Kennedy Center closed after its board – made up mostly of members picked by Trump – voted on Sept. 15 to shut its doors in an apparent effort to prepare for renovations.
But in the days since, more questions have arisen after Trump was spotted reading a poster about the center’s demolition and his administration said the closure would only last seven days, not two years.
Trump began pushing to take over the cultural hub early in his second term when he appointed himself as the center’s chair. The board has also pushed to rename it after Trump, a move that has been met by legal setbacks and widespread backlash.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening right now at the Kennedy Center.
Why is the Kennedy Center closed?
On Sept. 15, the Kennedy Center board voted to close its main building while keeping open a newer, significantly smaller theater wing called the REACH.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the board voted “to close the Building for Safety reasons, and so that it can begin the process of Reconstruction.” His administration has said that the building needs substantial renovations that would take two years to complete.
The president also said he won’t pursue the renovations unless he’s allowed to add his name back to the center, a move that was blocked in federal court.
The exterior of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, a day after the Kennedy Center board voted to close the center for repairs, in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 16, 2026.
A Sept. 17 court filing from the government’s attorneys said the center closed not for renovations, but so staff could address “acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration at the Center.”
The filing indicated that the current closure would last seven days.
A federal judge would have to approve of the center closing long-term. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked a planned two-year closure for renovations, so the government’s attorneys would have to ask for the order to be lifted before an extended closure could begin.
Does Trump want to demolish the Kennedy Center?
Speculation that Trump wants a demolition of the Kennedy Center grew after he was photographed reading a posterboard inside Air Force One that appears to say “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.”
In the photos, taken through a window on Sept. 16 after Trump landed at Joint Base Andrews, the president is seen looking directly at a poster reading “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED” in large red letters. It also appears to include a photo of the center.
Trump has argued that the center would need to be demolished unless it undergoes substantial renovations.
What’s the latest update?
Cooper ordered on Sept. 17 that the center must provide a 30-day notice before beginning any demolition or other major changes to the center’s main building.
Because of the order, the legality of any attempt to demolish the center would likely be subject to the judge’s review during the 30-day period.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, is the plaintiff in the federal lawsuit challenging efforts to close the building. In a filing after the temporary closure was announced, Beatty’s attorneys disputed the government’s assertion that the closure is the result of safety concerns.
“Defendants’ rationale that they are only temporarily closing the Kennedy Center is a plain pretext to justify shutting down the Center permanently,” Beatty’s attorneys said in a motion responding to the Justice Department.
What does the Kennedy Center look like right now?
Staff from the Kennedy Center installed fencing around the building shortly after the board voted to close it.
Workers have been seen driving forklifts and moving other equipment into and around the building in the days since.
A tarp and scaffolding remains covering the front entrance of the building. It blocks the signage of the center’s name, including where Trump’s name was added then ordered taken down earlier this year.
The center is used to host performing arts events, notably including the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Contributing: Joey Garrison
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kennedy Center closure and Trump’s overhaul, explained
Leave a Reply