Trump ties Kennedy Center renovation to naming fight

Board approves a two-year closure

The Kennedy Center’s board voted to close the performing arts complex for two years for renovations as President Donald Trump continued his legal effort to place his name on its facade.

During the board’s virtual meeting, Trump and Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, exchanged personal criticism, people listening to the meeting told NBC News. Beatty remains on the board as an ex officio member. Trump’s appointees replaced the center’s previous board and selected him as chairman.

Trump removed former chairman David Rubenstein, a private equity executive and philanthropist who had donated to the center. Critics say the leadership change damaged programming and ticket sales. The White House says the center had been poorly managed, needed repairs and offered programming it opposed.

Court order blocks the name change

A federal court issued a preliminary injunction preventing Trump’s name from being added to the building’s marble facade. The White House removed the name to comply with the order and covered the altered signage with a tarp.

Congress created the center in 1964 as Washington’s sole memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Opponents of the change argue that only Congress can rename it, rather than a president acting alone.

Trump pledged of his own money for renovations on the condition that his name be restored. He also said the reconstruction and renovation would not proceed if the ruling stands through an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The closure has already affected major tenants. The Washington Opera moved to a nearby university stage in January, while the National Symphony Orchestra secured six smaller concert halls in August after losing season subscriptions and needing revenue.