Kennedy Center Board Approves 2-Year Closure, Trump Inscription

The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted on Thursday to move forward with a two-year closure for renovations and to add an inscription crediting President Donald Trump on the building's facade, a decision that appears to conflict with a federal court order. The actions, taken by a board largely composed of Trump allies, set the stage for renewed legal battles over the future of the nation's premier performing arts institution.

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, the board voted to approve a plan to close the main building for substantial renovations while keeping a separate wing, known as the REACH, open for smaller-scale events. The renovation plan, which carries an estimated cost of $250 million, includes structural repairs, new marble floors, and acoustical improvements. The Kennedy Center is expected to reopen in the summer of 2028.

Simultaneously, the board approved a resolution to inscribe the phrase "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump" below the center's main signage. This move directly challenges a May ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who declared that the center's name cannot be changed...