Actor Patti LuPone criticized President Donald Trump on Monday for his plan to close the Kennedy Center following his controversial takeover of the famed arts venue.On Sunday, Trump announced that the center will cease performances on July 4 – and remain shuttered for two years – for renovations. He said he hopes the building will serve as a “new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come.”In a video obtained by Deadline, the Tony winner used her concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City to call out the “buffoon” president and slam his decision to renovate what he called the “tired, broken and dilapidated” D.C. building that houses the Kennedy Center.“It’s time for us, it’s time for us — it’s over time for us — to rise up, and speak!” LuPone said. “He cannot, cannot, cannot touch the Kennedy Center!”The long-time Trump critic also urged the audience to sound off on social media and elsewhere about his plans.“I’m sorry, but I’m so mad. This, actually, strikes close to home because — art is the soul of the nation,” LuPone said. “And think about it, when was the last time you heard the words ‘art’ and ‘culture’ in a conversation in this country? And we have to speak up again. We just have to elevate it, and one of the ways we’re going to elevate it is to keep the building standing. OK? That’s it.”The Kennedy Center has undergone a MAGA rebrand since Trump’s return to office. In December, the center’s board of Trump-friendly trustees, chaired by the president himself, voted to add his name to the building. The move ignited a storm of cancellations. Ticket sales at the center have also cratered.Additionally, Trump’s proposed reconstruction of the center has sparked questions from family members of John F. Kennedy, the former president for whom the “living memorial” was named.Close