The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees says the center is on the brink of bankruptcy. The board — installed by President Donald Trump — says putting Trump’s name back on the building is necessary to ensure fundraising that can avoid “certain fiscal collapse,” according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Officials say they could be unable to make the center’s payroll “within a matter of weeks.” And that Trump has offered to “raise the necessary funds to keep the Center from bankruptcy” while the building undergoes a large-scale renovation.
Trustees are being asked to choose verbiage to be placed on the exterior of the center beneath the name. One example is: “Renovation Restoration and Endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund,” the Post reports.
According to the documents, Kennedy Center officials are recommending that the main building be closed immediately for safety reasons. On September 5, a portion of ceiling in the building’s Grand Foyer reportedly collapsed from heavy rain.
The board is holding a special meeting on Tuesday, and the center could close that day as well.
Kennedy Center Controversy
In February 2025, Trump replaced many of The Kennedy Center’s board members and announced the new board had elected him chair. The news resulted in a wave of cancellations at the venue.
In December, The Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees voted to rename the venue the Trump-Kennedy Center. Despite outcry from some Democrats who said the change needs Congressional approval, workers added Trump’s name to the building’s facade.
In February of this year, Trump also announced that the venue would close for two years for massive renovations.
In June, a federal judge ruled that Trump’s name be removed from the exterior of the center. The decision also blocked Trump’s plan to close the building for renovations.
Feature image, avmedved/stock.adobe.com
