BREAKING: Trump Announces Closure of Kennedy Center for Two Years

[mahatmakanejeeves]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: GoLocalProv.com

BREAKING: Trump Announces Closure of Kennedy Center for Two Years
Sunday, February 01, 2026

In a post on social media on Sunday night, President Donald Trump announced the closure of the Kennedy Center for two years.

He said the closure is due to construction and that the facility will shut down in July.

After a one year review of The Trump Kennedy Center, that has taken place with Contractors, Musical Experts, Art Institutions, and other Advisors and Consultants, deciding between either Construction with Closure and Re-Opening or, Partial Construction while continuing Entertainment Operations through a much longer period of time, working in and around the Performances, I have determined that The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World. In other words, if we don't close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!

Based on these findings, and totally subject to Board approval, I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two year period of time, with a scheduled Grand Reopening that will rival and surpass anything that has taken place with respect to such a Facility before.


Therefore, The Trump Kennedy Center will close on July 4th, 2026, in honor of the 250th Anniversary of our Country, whereupon we will simultaneously begin Construction of the new and spectacular Entertainment Complex. Financing is completed, and fully in place! This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, far better than it has ever been before. America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come. Thank you for your attention to this matter!



PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

Read more: https://www.golocalprov.com/news/breaking-trump-announces-closure-of-kennedy-center-for-two-years

---

Hat tip, WJLA, at the tail end of the local news

Edited: senseandsensibility posted this at GD before I posted here. I didn't it see his post until 8:51.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220988574

[vapor2]

1. Is the bastard gonna tear it down like the East Wing

or put his gaudy gold shit in it?

[Roy Rolling]

41. Another "Trump Says" Article

Fuck him. He’s a dictator, that’s what dictators do—they dictate to others.

Watch what he does, not what he says because everything he says is bullshit.

Stop fucking quoting him, media.

[skylucy]

2. And he says he going to build a new one. He is such a piece of shit.

[jmbar2]

3. ETTD!

[SouthBayDem]

4. Is "GoLocalProv" a reliable source?

Its about page discloses little about its editorial practices or ownership.

The Associated Press also has an article.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Admittedly, it's new to me.

I was watching WJLA's local news at 6:30. This news bite came on just as the show was ending. WJLA is owned by Sinclair.

GLP cited a Truth Social post. The story is being to gain circulation. Fox News has picked it up.

As you note, AP has picked up the story.

Thanks for writing, and good evening.

Edited: I gather they're in Providence RI, and they stick to local stories. This tidbit came in on someone's laptop or phone or tablet, and he or she said, "hey, let's run this on the homepage." Then they came up for me at Google News.

[Gaugamela]

5. The Kennedy family might have something to say about this in court.

I expect he’s closing it down for two years to avoid the continuing embarrassment of low turnout and artist’s cancellations.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. What is their standing? NT

[Gaugamela]

8. I'm not a lawyer, but someone has standing and the Kennedy family has money. And frankly,

I would think that the Kennedy estate has standing.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

10. Why would they have any more standing than I do?

They're Kennedys. What about it?

[Gaugamela]

11. I didn't say they do. But they have more money than you do.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. I haven't seen their balance sheet, but I'm going to take a chance and agree with your assertion. NT

[Gaugamela]

18. If you think you or any American has standing then why did you ask if

the Kennedys have standing?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

23. This is where I step back and let the lawyers take over. NT

[Bluetus]

45. They had better get moving because we could see a demo crew there at any time

Dollars to donuts, what Trump is thinking is "if people fight my name on the building and cancel the programming, I'll just tear down the whole damn thing and build the Trump Center with no Kennedy at all."

Lawyers had better figure out who DOES have standing and get an injunction brief ready to go at a moment's notice.

[orangecrush]

51. THIS

[bucolic_frolic]

21. Maybe it's a matter of licensing or branding. Their name is on the Building. /nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

24. Due to an act on Congress. I seriously doubt that the Kennedys derive any

vigorish (leave it alone, autocorrect) from the ticket sales.

This is not how I expected Sunday evening to turn out.

Happy new year.

[bucolic_frolic]

26. They receive publicity and pride at the use of their famous ancestor's name

Good will is a balance sheet capital asset in America. "D.C. Concert Club" would not have the same aura.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

28. True. I'm not an accountant either, but unless the Kennedy family incorporated itself, and

it was going about setting a value for itself for purposes of acquiring or being acquired by another corporation or venture capitalist limited partnership, I don't see how it could claim goodwill as a reason for it to have standing in any civil suit it might want to file.

Once again, I'm going to step back and let a CPA or M&A attorney comment on this, because this is way past my paygrade.

Thanks for all the great comments.

[bucolic_frolic]

32. Thank you for all the great posts!

You are one of the tireless DU posters ... good 'n plenty non-stop!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

35. Thanks. I figure that as long as I'm up at 2:00 a.m. because of ... you know ... I might as well fire up the tablet. NT

[Hey Joe]

16. BINGO!!!

[jls4561]

9. This country doesn't need another whorehouse, yet Fat Donnie is intent on making everything he can into one.

[Vinca]

12. He must think gluing faux gold doodads all over the place will draw in more acts.

What a bloody idiot.

[wolfie001]

13. I've said it before and I'll say it again: fat orange imbecile

Shitting in his diapers in the Oval Office and shitting on the American people daily

[Baitball Blogger]

14. Puts his name on the building and then shuts it down

It’s like he knows everything he touches turns to shit.

[JoseBalow]

15. What a loser

[twodogsbarking]

19. Maybe the Kennedy family will open one, in the meantime.

[Justice matters.]

20. "Grandeur" ...

a word peaceof$hit did not write

his delusions of ... know no bounds.

[Ilsa]

22. The building, lovely as it is, isn't what makes the

Kennedy Center so great. It's the caliber of performers and performances and the privilege of being asked to perform there. Trump thinks it's about bricks and mortar, marble, granite, and gold plated hardware. And himself.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

25. One could say, "Melania" was the straw that broke the camel's back. NT

[kerouac2]

27. I guess kid rock can't play all year?

So sad

[ProfessorGAC]

31. Thankfully

How many tunes could he play that hackneyed, lifted trash he performs?
He is a has been and only gets attention because of his outrageous politics.
He's no musician.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

34. The 2026 Grosse Pointe High School senior prom committee is looking for talent. NT

[ProfessorGAC]

36. Well Played! (nt)

[Doodley]

29. This is only to cover up that thanks to him attendance is down 80% and artists have pulled out.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

30. "If I can't have it, no one can." NT

[Ocelot II]

33. Bullshit. It's because nobody wants to perform there any more.

[C Moon]

37. There are so many things that irritate the hell out of trump.

He is so jealous of our past presidents and how they were respected after leaving office. And he knows he won’t ever get that king of reverence. So he drums it up for himself.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

39. These are a few of the things that I hate.

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Cursive handwriting on blackboards and slate
These are a few of the things that I hate.

[hamsterjill]

38. Dumb question - but isn't there a Board of Governors or some other board that has some say in all of this?

Trump just snaps his fingers and things disappear? That doesn't seem logical to me. No pushback on his antics EVER?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

40. He appointed them all, at least the ones who have a vote.

Kennedy Center changed board rules months before vote to add Trump's name

Kennedy Center changed board rules months before vote to add Trump’s name

The new rules say only trustees appointed by the president can vote, barring other members, including Democrats who hold seats, from decisions. The center said the change reflects “longstanding precedent.

December 31, 2025 at 5:00 a.m. EST
By Janay Kingsberry and Kelsey Ables

The Kennedy Center adopted bylaws earlier this year that limited voting to presidentially appointed trustees, a move that preceded a unanimous decision this month by board members installed by President Donald Trump to add his name to the center.

The current bylaws, obtained by The Washington Post, were revised in May to specify that board members designated by Congress — known as ex officio members — could not vote or count toward a quorum. Legal experts say the move may conflict with the institution’s charter.

Trump took over the Kennedy Center in February, purging its board of members he had not appointed. The months that followed saw struggling ticket sales and programming changes that began to align the arts complex with the Trump administration’s broader cultural aims, culminating with the annual Kennedy Center Honors hosted by the president.

Days later, on Dec. 18, the board voted to add the president’s name to the institution, and within 24 hours it was on the website and the building itself: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

[hamsterjill]

46. Thank you.

n/t

[dweller]

42. It took an act of congress

To name the institution The Kennedy Center , and it should take one to change the name or add the Pisswig’s.

If some way could be found to remove his name , he would probably lose interest in it all together . This just more crap like his ballroom and arch and ufc stadium and dc racetrack … just another monument to himself

what an asshole


✌🏻

[BigmanPigman]

43. He won't be here in 2 years.

Keep dreaming, you fucking moron! He should be busy building the most beautiful mental health facility ever seen. A big, beautiful, grand building all for tRump himself. He can wander about, talking to walls, throwing ketchup and dragging his leg leaving a stench in his wake.

[DinahMoeHum]

47. Knock on wood

n/t

[lonely bird]

44. Translation...

It will become a gaudy, ugly monstrosity with huge cost overruns.

[generalbetrayus]

48. "... many Events using the Facility ...". More proof that he is delusional.

"... and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, ..."
Ohmidarwin, he's going to add a CASINO to the Kennedy Center!

[EnergizedLib]

49. Right. Construction and Rebuilding.

In other news, I want to announce the only reason Taylor Swift is engaged to Travis Kelce and not me is because I shot her down when she showed interest in me.

[lostincalifornia]

50. They did such a great job with the East Wing, and lest we forget they destroyed

Jackie Kennedy’s Rose Garden.

Everything they touch is destroyed.

[Omaha Steve]

52. AFTER a review by forum hosts LOCKING

LOCKING for the source.

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