WASHINGTON
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts closed its doors this week after a five-foot section of ceiling plaster collapsed inside the building. President Donald Trump's allies on the board voted to shutter the institution less than two hours after the incident, citing safety concerns—but the closure is explicitly tied to a separate demand that has nothing to do with the repairs themselves.
Trump has made adding his name to the memorial dedicated to the slain president a condition of renovation funding. Courts, including a judge last week, have repeatedly blocked his attempts. In response, Trump decreed the center would close immediately, with renovations barred until courts—potentially including the Supreme Court—permit his name on the building's facade.
No injuries occurred in the ceiling collapse. Staff members documented the damage and presented a 55-page briefing to the board mapping the debris field. Trump claimed online that a security guard had "narrowly avoided 'certain death'" during the incident, a characterization not supported by center accounts.
Trump first announced in February that the center would close for a two-year renovation. Democratic board members opposed the move, calling it a cover for declining ticket sales and departing artists. Since then, Trump has repeatedly sought to add his name to the building. Last week, after a judge again denied the request, Trump announced the immediate closure.
Heavy construction fencing has been erected around the building. Trump argued that recognition for his administration—including his name on the center—would help address its "physical and financial turmoil." He stated: "The Trump administration should certainly have recognition. If we don't do that it's going to close, it'll end up being ripped down."
On Friday night, demonstrators formed a human chain around the building, protesting the closure and expressing fears that Trump might ultimately order the center demolished.
The closure marks a sharp reversal for an institution once considered a bipartisan global model for public access to the arts. Trump took control of the center less than two years ago. At the start of his second term in January 2025, he installed a new board and appointed himself chairman. Internal emails and documents reveal a political takeover: audiences and donors have departed, and the center's finances have cratered.
Richard Grenell, Trump's first appointed director, pursued a plan to replace art in the center's collection, including removing gifts from foreign nations honoring Kennedy and substituting works chosen by Trump patrons. In an email to Josef Palermo, Grenell wrote: "You can definitely start sending stuff back to the countries who donated it now."
