Teen punk musicians protest against the Trump-Kennedy Center name change outside the performing arts center on January 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. EMILY ALFF/SIPA
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, February 1, he is closing the Kennedy Center for two years for a thorough renovation, as the storied Washington arts complex struggles with declining ticket sales and a backlash from performers. The closure, he said, would begin on July 4, the nation's 250th anniversary.
Since returning to office, Trump has launched a forceful takeover of the once non-partisan center, branding some of its programming too "woke" and adding his own name to the facade.
"I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two-year period of time," Trump, who is the center's chairman of the board, posted on his Truth Social platform. The decision, he said, will be subject to approval of the board, which he handpicked upon taking over as chairman last year.
Trump said the facility's various entertainment events – concerts, operas, musicals, ballet performances, and interactive arts – would impede and slow the construction and renovation operations, and that a full temporary closure would be necessary.
