Trump threatens not to reopen the Kennedy Center without his name in the title

The board of directors of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington (the Kennedy Center) has decided to immediately close the building for security reasons and to carry out renovations.

U.S. President Donald Trump, however, threatened that the repair work would not begin until the District Court for the District of Columbia reviews the board's decision to rename the center in his honor. The American leader announced this on Truth Social.

"The closure will take place immediately, but the repairs and renovation — and this is a very large-scale and complex job — will not be able to begin until the District Court for the District of Columbia issues a ruling on the name approved by the board. If the ruling is negative — which should not happen — and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the renovation and repair of the Kennedy Center will not take place," he wrote.

Trump also announced the transfer of $17 million he had raised himself to the center's account "to maintain financial stability."

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1971 in memory of President John Kennedy. The center houses seven theaters and hosts more than 2,000 performances annually.

At the end of August, The Washington Post, citing a court document, reported that the U.S. Department of Justice was threatening to demolish the Kennedy Center if it refused to immortalize Trump's name. According to the authorities, the president ensured the center's "financial recovery," and his name and image are "critically important" for the center.

Shortly after returning to the White House, Trump dismissed Kennedy Center Director Deborah Rutter and a number of other board members, and he himself became the new chairman. On December 19, 2025, the board appointed by the U.S. president voted unanimously to rename the institution the "Trump-Kennedy Center." Caroline Leavitt, who at the time held the post of White House press secretary, explained the renaming decision by the "incredible work" that, in her words, Trump had done at the center since his return to the presidency.

In May, District of Columbia District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that Trump's name be removed from the center's title, stating that the institution should be dedicated to "President Kennedy and President Kennedy alone." The president criticized the decision.

Source: RBC