President Trump has announced his plans to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, for two years, claiming the venue was “a tired, broken, and dilapidated” facility.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed his ruling followed a yearlong review with “contractors, musical experts, art institutions, and other advisors and consultants.” He scheduled the center’s closing to July 4, although he added the final decision would be made by the center’s board of trustees – the president handpicked most of the board’s members and named himself board chairman.
“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, far better than it has ever been before,” Trump wrote online. “America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come.”
Trump offered no photographic or video evidence to support his claim the venue was in an advanced state of disrepair. The center hosted last week’s world premiere of “Melania,” a documentary on First Lady Melania Trump, with the president and his wife in attendance. The president hosted the annual Kennedy Center Honors event in December.
In recent weeks, the Kennedy Center became the focus of political and cultural controversy after the president affixed his name to the venue, insisting that it is now the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” This resulted in the announcement by many prominent artists including soprano Renee Fleming and composers Philip Glass and Stephen Schwartz that they were canceling scheduled appearances at the Kennedy Center. Last month, the Washington National Opera announced it would leave the Kennedy Center and stage its works elsewhere. The Kennedy Center’s performance calendar offers few programs booked for the spring and summer and nothing booked after September.
