Trump To Shutter DC's Iconic Kennedy Center For Two Years In Bold Rebrand

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Washington's Kennedy Center will go dark for roughly two years starting 4 July, a dramatic move that comes as performers continue fleeing the venue in protest over his takeover of the storied institution.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump called for what he described as a 'complete rebuilding' of the complex, timing the closure to coincide with America's 250th anniversary celebrations. He dismissed the venue as 'tired, broken, and dilapidated' and claimed it had been 'in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years', according to NPR.

Neither Trump nor Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell, a close ally he installed at the helm, have provided evidence to support those claims. Grenell praised what he called Trump's 'visionary leadership' and pointed to $257 million (£208 million) Congress had appropriated for maintenance work.

Exodus Of Artists Preceded Announcement

The decision follows months of high-profile cancellations that have left the venue reeling. The Washington National Opera ended its 55-year residency last month after new policies requiring productions to be fully funded in advance proved incompatible with its business model. Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller pulled the blockbuster touring musical back in March 2025, accusing the administration of destroying decades of Kennedy Center neutrality.

Just last week, composer Philip Glass withdrew his Symphony No. 15 'Lincoln', saying the centre's current values were 'in direct conflict' with the piece's message. Opera star Renee Fleming, actress Issa Rae, and the producers of multiple shows have also walked away since Trump assumed control of the board in February 2025 and plastered his name on the building's facade in December, The Hill reported.

The Washington Post reported in October that ticket sales had plummeted since the takeover, though White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt maintains Trump rescued the building financially.

Kennedy Family Strikes Back

Members of the Kennedy family wasted no time firing back. Maria Shriver, niece of President John F. Kennedy, posted a sarcastic response on X mimicking Trump's voice and suggesting he was shuttering the venue because 'no one wants to perform there any longer'.

Jack Schlossberg, JFK's grandson who is now running for Congress as a Democrat, took a harder line. 'Trump can take the Kennedy Center for himself. He can change the name, shut the doors, and demolish the building. He can try to kill JFK,' Schlossberg wrote on social media, urging Americans to remove the president from office, CBS News reported.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves as an ex officio trustee, accused Trump of acting 'with a total disregard for Congress' and questioned what would happen to the venue's employees and performers with existing contracts.

Legal Threats Pile Up

Democracy Defenders Action and the Washington Litigation Group, which have already sued the administration over the renaming, threatened fresh legal action on Sunday. They suggested the closure raises serious questions about whether Trump's true purpose is to avoid further embarrassment rather than carry out genuine renovations.

The proposal still requires approval from the Kennedy Center board, though that looks like a formality. Trump chairs the body himself and has stacked it with loyalists including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and second lady Usha Vance, ABC News noted.

Staff at the venue learned of the shutdown through Trump's social media post rather than any internal announcement. One senior employee, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to comment publicly, told CBS they had no idea what any of it meant.

Trump said financing was 'completed and fully in place' but offered no cost estimate or breakdown of whether the money would come from federal sources, private donations, or some combination of both. It remains unclear whether the hundreds of performances scheduled over the next two years will be postponed or relocated to other venues.

Congress established the Kennedy Center in 1958 and renamed it as a 'living memorial' to the assassinated president in 1964. The venue opened its doors in 1971 and has served as home to the National Symphony Orchestra ever since. The announcement came just days after Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended the world premiere of her documentary 'Melania' at the very same building.