'If the ruling is negative': Trump says Kennedy Center rebuild won’t happen without his name
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said the Kennedy Center will close immediately after its board voted to shut the building for safety reasons and reconstruction, but he added a striking condition: the planned renovation will not proceed if a federal appeals court rejects the board’s latest effort to attach his name to the institution and the Supreme Court does not reverse that decision.
Trump made the claim in a Truth Social post on September 15, shortly after the board vote.
He said the closure would allow the complex to begin a “very large and complex” reconstruction project, while the Justice Department would seek an expedited appeal of the latest court ruling.
Trump also said $17 million he raised had already been placed into the Kennedy Center’s account to “keep it afloat.”
Trump links rebuilding to name fight
The statement comes after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the board from adding Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center building or grounds without congressional approval.
Cooper had previously ordered Trump’s name removed from the facade, ruling in May that Congress, which established the Kennedy Center as a memorial to John F. Kennedy, holds authority over its formal name.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals declined in July to pause that order.
In its ruling, the appeals court said the board had not provided sufficient evidence that removing Trump’s name would cause irreparable financial harm.
The latest dispute followed an August board proposal that sought to recognize Trump through inscriptions on the building and by renaming the plaza.
Cooper rejected that approach Tuesday, saying the board could not use memorials or other designations to circumvent congressional authority.
Closure now hits Kennedy Center audiences
The board’s decision means the main building will close while its future remains tied to the litigation and reconstruction plans.
The center has faced financial and infrastructure problems, with officials warning that deteriorating conditions require major work.
Congress previously appropriated roughly $257 million for capital repairs, restoration, maintenance and security at the complex.
The closure also places the center’s employees, artists, visitors and surrounding businesses in a period of uncertainty while the legal fight over its name and the proposed rebuilding continues.
