Kennedy Center board votes to close it, as judge again keeps Trump's name off

A tarp covers signage on the facade of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C, on June 15, 2026, after a judge ordered the removal of President Donald Trump's name. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

The Kennedy Center's board of directors on Tuesday voted to close the historic arts center in a meeting that began just minutes after a federal judge once again stopped a plan to put President Trump's name on the building.

The president immediately vowed to cancel a planned renovation of the facility unless the decision about adding his name is reversed by a higher court.

Trump wrote: "The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board's approved name. If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place."

The plaintiff in the federal suit, Rep. Joyce Beatty, Democrat of Ohio, filed Trump's statement with the federal judge.

Administrators of the Kennedy Center told the board in recent days that the physical plant of the complex's main building is unsafe, and that the center's finances are "within weeks" of bankruptcy .

Kennedy Center officials did not reply to NPR's requests for comment.

Even before Tuesday's vote, the Kennedy Center was down to a skeletal version of itself. Ticket sales had plummeted, and many prominent artists had canceled planned appearances, saying that the center had become politicized under Trump. There were very few events on the calendar. Most of the administrative staff had already either been fired or had left.