The board votes to close

The Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board voted Tuesday to close the venue, citing money trouble and the fight over Trump's name. Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick joined the meeting.

Only Congress can rename it

After the board added Trump's name above Kennedy's, Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that only Congress can change the center's name. The board answered by hanging a tarp that hides Trump's name and most of Kennedy's.

The memorial workaround fails

The board then floated inscriptions crediting Trump for the renovation. On Tuesday, before the vote, Cooper blocked any Trump name on the building or grounds.

“Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing.”

Name first, then money

The board's own proposal said Trump would likely not fund the renovations without that recognition. It also says the building is falling apart and the center is close to insolvency.

“the government plays word games”

A judge asks for calm

At a morning hearing, Cooper urged both sides to try mediation and pointed to the wider public interest. A few hours later, the board voted to close.

“Is it possible to turn down the temperature a little bit?”

Trump ties rebuilding to a ruling

Trump said the closure was about public safety. He added that renovation can't start until the D.C. Circuit rules on the name, and won't happen at all if the ruling goes against the board.

“If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be ... the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place.”