Donald Trump Is Closing the Kennedy Center for Reasons That Are Very Donald Trump in Nature

Unfortunately, the historic Kennedy Center continues to be a focal point for President Donald Trump during his second administration. For those who are just joining us, the Kennedy Center has been taken over by the president, who installed himself as its chairman in February 2025 via a post on Truth Social. Per a press release, Trump was officially elected as the new president and a new board was announced.

The president has made numerous remarks about the Kennedy Center, claiming it is in "tremendous disrepair," per KFOX. That didn't stop Trump from adding his name to the building's facade in December 2025, unofficially calling it the Trump-Kennedy Center. Since he took over, artists have been steadily canceling shows at the historic venue. Ticket sales have plummeted. Then, Trump announced he was closing the Kennedy Center for two years. Here's why.

In yet another post on Truth Social, Trump said he was closing the Kennedy Center in order to do renovations. Starting in July 2026, the memorial to President John F. Kennedy will be shut down for two years. The president claimed he discussed the Kennedy Center's future with contractors, musical experts, art institutions, and other advisors and consultants, who all agreed that fully closing the venue while renovating is more efficient than keeping it partially open.

"I have determined that the Trump-Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for construction, revitalization, and complete rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest performing arts facility of its kind," wrote the president. Only an act of Congress can rename the Kennedy Center.

While Trump didn't go into details regarding his specific plans for the historical venue, he did say it would be turned into a spectacular entertainment complex. He has already scheduled a UFC event on the South Lawn of the White House in June 2026, as well as an IndyCar race through the streets of Washington, D.C., two months later. With that in mind, it's easy to picture what is in store for the Kennedy Center. It's probably not going to be classy.

Jack Schlossberg, a Democratic candidate for New York’s 12th Congressional District and the only grandson of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter) about Trump temporarily closing the Kennedy Center. "Trump can take the Kennedy Center for himself," he wrote. "He can try to kill JFK, but JFK is kept alive by us now rising up to remove Donald Trump, bring him to justice, and restore the freedoms generations fought for."

One of Robert F. Kennedy's grandsons described the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to JFK, a "place built by the people for the people to celebrate what connects us." Joseph Kennedy III wrote on X that Trump's actions trespass on the People's will, but also remind us that "it is not buildings that define the greatness of a nation. It is the actions of its people and its leaders."

Journalist Maria Shriver took a moment to make a few jokes at the expense of the president. The niece of JFK and RFK wrote in a sarcastic post on X that the decision to close the Kennedy Center probably had nothing to do with the seemingly endless cancellations by performers. Nope, couldn't be that.