# Kennedy Center board votes to shut down, and a new court fight looms

> Hours after a judge blocked Trump's name going on the building, his handpicked board closed the Kennedy Center outright.
- Title: Kennedy Center board votes to shut down, and a new court…
- Summary: Hours after a judge blocked Trump's name going on the building, his handpicked board closed the Kennedy Center outright. Trump says the Kennedy Center…
- Keywords: kennedy center, donald trump, joyce beatty, lawsuit, arts, Kennedy, Center, board, votes, shut, court, fight
- Source: The Hollywood Reporter — https://hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/kennedy-center-shut-down-1236702546
- Author: Caitlin Huston
- Published: 2026-09-15T20:28:41+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kennedy center, donald trump, joyce beatty, lawsuit, arts
## A shutdown hours after a ruling
On Tuesday the Kennedy Center board voted to close the center immediately for renovations. Earlier that day, a federal judge had blocked the board from adding Trump's name to it.
## The lawmaker who sued
Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio board member, had already sued to stop the closure and undo the name change the board made earlier this year. She signaled the shutdown vote is headed to court too.
## Renovations didn't need a closure
Beatty says the center long planned phased renovations that kept some shows running, as major arts centers do. She blames the renaming for driving off donors, patrons and artists.

> Donald Trump only cares about the Kennedy Center for his vanity.
## Lawyers call it a cover
Beatty's counsel, Norm Eisen and Nathaniel Zelinsky, say the board shut the center to hide mismanagement after the renaming emptied its seats.

> We'll see the Defendants in court.
## Trump cites safety concerns
On Truth Social, Trump said the board he handpicked, which made him chairman, closed the center for safety reasons and to begin large, complex renovations.
## No name, no renovation
Trump plans to appeal the naming ruling. He says if it stands and the Supreme Court doesn't overturn it, the renovation will not happen at all.

> the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place
## Key takeaway

Trump says the Kennedy Center renovations won't happen unless his name goes on the building, which makes the closure look tied to the naming fight rather than to safety.