The confrontation between the federal judiciary and the Trump administration over the Washington, D.C. cultural landmark escalated sharply on a single Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper issued a ruling in the dispute, stating, Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress' blessing.
The Board Vote and Judicial Clash in Washington
Hours after that legal defeat, the Kennedy Center’s board, which is made up of Trump appointees, voted on Tuesday, Sept. 15, to close the cultural institution for “safety reasons” hours after a judge blocked the president from adding his name back to the building, which was removed earlier this year. This is the latest chapter in Trump’s takeover of the cultural institution, which has been a focal point since starting his second term as president. The facility first opened in 1971 and was named after John F. Kennedy, hosting several types of performing arts for decades, including ballet, dance, music, and theater.
Renovations Tied to the Presidential Name Dispute
Behind the closure vote lies a stalled funding and renovation battle. Congress is already putting aside $257 million to cover the repairs, per PBS.
Later that day, Trump posted on Truth Social about the latest vote and noted that the renovations needed for the cultural institution wouldn’t take place until his name is on the building. The renovations cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board's approved name,
he posted.
“If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place.”
President Donald Trump, via Truth Social
The standoff has also touched upon demolition concerns for the property. A US federal judge ruled the Trump administration must give 30 days’ notice before any “demolitionoccurs to the Kennedy Center, as President Donald Trump warned the Washington DC performing arts venue could be
ripped down.” The order comes after Trump was photographed onboard Air Force One looking at a poster with a headline that appeared to tout the demolition of the site. Protesters also gathered at the venue on Friday to demonstrate against demolition threats. The BBC’s Caitríona Perry spoke to Kerry Kennedy, the niece of late president John F Kennedy, about demolition threats to the performance centre named after him.
Outrage From the Kennedy Family
Members of the Kennedy family voiced fierce opposition to the board’s closure vote and the administration’s ongoing efforts to rebrand the memorial institution. Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, called it “a tragedy” while speaking with Erin Burnett on CNN on Tuesday after the vote.
The American people love the Kennedy Center, they love the arts, they understand what's going on, they see the corruption of this. There's not a financial issue here,
she added.
“President Trump has said they have $250 million ready to hand over tomorrow. He’s just withholding it because he wants his name on the building. So, this is like so many other things that Trump has touched. It’s a bankruptcy because he adds his name to it.”
Kerry Kennedy, via CNN
She also made a plea to the president to focus on what's important.
Leave the Kennedy center alone,
she said. Allow us to move forward with this great art center, this monument to a slain president, and leave it alone. Focus on your job.
Maria Shriver, whose mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver was siblings with John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, spoke out on social media on Tuesday evening in response to Trump’s post.
“This statement from Trump blows my mind. That a sitting president would not let any renovations to a public building go on unless he gets to first put his name in the said building… What a sad state of affairs. What a tragedy.”
Maria Shriver, via Social Media
Actually, how small minded, how narcissistic. Actually great men, devoted to public service and the public good do not act like this,
she said. It seems that this man will not rest until his name is permanently connected to the name of a great president, whose memory this building was dedicated to,
she continued, adding that there are bigger concerns for the president to handle than putting his name on a building.
Imagine spending your time and your days focused on this, as everyday Americans struggle with healthcare, gas prices, rent, and food. Imagine spending your days focused on this, while a war rages under your leadership,
she added. Entertainment Weekly contacted the Kennedy Center and the White House and did not receive an immediate response.
What Lies Ahead for the National Cultural Institution
This is the latest chapter in the saga surrounding Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center since starting his second term as president in January 2025. The immediate future of the cultural institution remains tied to appellate courts and federal oversight while the board-approved name is reviewed by the D.C. Circuit and the $257 million in congressional repair funds remains contingent upon the outcome of the naming dispute.
