# Kennedy Center board votes to shut down

> A judge blocked Trump's name from the facade, and hours later the board voted to close the doors.
- Title: Kennedy Center board votes to shut down · New York Post
- Summary: A judge blocked Trump's name from the facade, and hours later the board voted to close the doors. The Kennedy Center's board chose to close rather than keep…
- Keywords: kennedy center, trump, arts funding, courts, washington dc, news, entertainment, Kennedy, Center, board, votes, shut
- Source: New York Post — https://nypost.com/2026/09/15/us-news/kennedy-center-board-votes-to-close-over-financial-woes-trump-branding-dispute
- Published: 2026-09-15T18:52:14+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kennedy center, trump, arts funding, courts, washington dc, news, entertainment
## The board votes to close
On Tuesday the Kennedy Center's board voted to shut down the performing arts venue, according to people familiar with the decision.
## Money and a name
Two pressures drove the vote: unresolved financial problems and a fight over putting President Trump's name on the building.
## Told behind closed doors
The meeting was private. The people who described the vote spoke only on condition of anonymity.
## Lettering already went up
Workers had begun adding "THE DONALD TRUMP AND" to the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
## A judge says no
Also on Tuesday, Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the center from restoring the name, citing an earlier ruling that it had been added illegally.

> Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing.
## Still unfolding
The closure is a developing story with key details, including timing and what happens to scheduled performances, still unreported.
## Key takeaway

The Kennedy Center's board chose to close rather than keep fighting over money and a name on the building.