Overview
- Trump announced a full closure for construction and "complete rebuilding" for roughly two years, with the plan contingent on approval by the board he now chairs.
- He asserted that financing is "completed and fully in place," and leaders have cited a prior $257 million congressional allocation for repairs and restoration.
- The rebranding to the "Trump Kennedy Center" has drawn sustained backlash, with artists including Philip Glass and Renée Fleming canceling and "Hamilton" pulling its run.
- The Washington National Opera said it will leave the venue, senior programming hire Kevin Couch resigned days into the job, and reporting points to steep drops in ticket sales.
- The renaming faces a legal challenge under the 1964 law establishing the center as a JFK memorial, leaving the institution's identity and key logistics for resident groups and annual events unresolved.