The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees has voted to reinstate President Donald Trump’s name on the Washington, D.C., performing arts complex and shut the venue for roughly two years to undergo extensive renovations.
The decision revives a naming dispute that flared in June, when Trump’s name was removed from the facade following a lawsuit brought by Ohio Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. The board’s move to re-add the name comes despite the earlier court order that had prompted its removal.
Several trustees condemned the vote, arguing that reinstating the name defies the legal ruling and politicizes a national cultural institution. Supporters on the board framed the renaming and closure as part of a broader modernization effort for the aging complex.
The planned two-year closure would halt public performances at one of the country’s most prominent venues for the arts, affecting resident companies, touring productions and the center’s education programs during the renovation period.
The dispute is the latest chapter in a series of high-profile controversies involving Trump-branded projects and federal oversight. It follows recent legal wrangling over White House construction, including an appeals court decision that paused work on a $400 million ballroom pending congressional approval.
Beatty’s original lawsuit challenged the authority behind attaching the president’s name to the federally chartered institution, leading to the June removal. The board’s reversal is expected to draw fresh legal scrutiny over whether the action complies with the standing court order.
The Kennedy Center, established as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, has historically operated as a nonpartisan hub for national and international performance.
Neither a precise start date for the closure nor a full renovation budget was disclosed at the time of the vote. Officials indicated further details would be released as planning advances.
The board’s decision is likely to face immediate challenges in court, with opponents signaling they will contest both the renaming and the timing of the shutdown in the weeks ahead.