Trump threatens closure

Donald Trump said the Kennedy Center could stay closed for good after a judge ruled his name cannot be added to the arts venue’s facade.

“keep the Kennedy Center closed for good”

Board votes shutdown

Trump said his chosen board voted almost unanimously to close the Washington venue at once for emergency renovations.

“almost unanimously”

Repairs tied to ruling

Trump said the building’s repairs will not start unless a higher court allows the center to be renamed after him.

“the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place”

Center cites safety

The Kennedy Center told AFP the closure decision put safety first, framing the shutdown as a response to building risks.

“a clear prioritization of safety above all else”

Trump took control

Early in his second term, Trump made himself chairman of the center, named for John F. Kennedy, the Democratic president assassinated in 1963.

Judge blocks renaming

Judge Christopher Cooper again ruled that Trump’s name cannot go back on the exterior, saying the board tried to work around his earlier order.

“cannot install memorials for President Trump”

Congress must approve

Cooper said the board needs Congress’s blessing before adding a memorial name for Trump or anyone else at the Kennedy Center.

“without Congress’s blessing”

Branding push expands

The Kennedy Center fight sits alongside other Trump-backed changes in Washington, including a planned arch and a White House ballroom.

Safety claims intensify

Trump pointed to a ceiling piece that fell after a storm and warned people could have died if the building had been open.

“innocent people would have been killed”

Artists and sales fall

Artists canceled shows after Trump’s takeover, while US media reported a sharp drop in Kennedy Center ticket sales.

“ticket sales have plummeted”