President Donald Trump said on Monday his extensive, “fully financed” renovations to the Kennedy Center, estimated to cost $200 million, will not include fully tearing down the venue.
“I’m not ripping it down. I’ll be using the steel,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “So, we’re using the structure, we’re using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down. But when it’s open, it’ll be brand new and really beautiful.”
On Sunday, Trump announced that he will close the performing arts center for two years, starting July 4, to allow time for major renovations. He described the building’s current state as “tired, broken, and dilapidated.”
NOTUS acquired more details on the project from a White House official, who said the “building maintenance” includes updating the building to “current life-safety codes,” improving parking, and strengthening the building’s structure with work on heating and air conditioning services, plumbing and electrical systems, and technical stage equipment.
Construction will also include repairing and replacing parts of the building’s exterior to ensure it lasts for a long time, according to the White House official.
After entering office last year, Trump quickly assumed control of the Kennedy Center by installing himself as the board chairman and appointing allies to the governing body. The board then realigned the center’s programming and later added Trump’s name to the building.
The official name, Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, drew pushback from Democratic lawmakers and left-leaning performers alike. Since then, many artists have canceled their performances for political reasons.
The Kennedy Center’s closure has also been met with criticism, including from members of the Kennedy family.
“Trump can take the Kennedy Center for himself. He can change the name, shut the doors, and demolish the building. He can try to kill JFK,” Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy and a 2026 Democratic candidate, posted on X. “But JFK is kept alive by us now rising up to remove Donald Trump, bring him to justice, and restore the freedoms generations fought for.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not directly commented on the closure since it was announced, but renaming the center has not been one of his major concerns.
“I have bigger fish to fry,” Kennedy said in an interview last week, adding he’s more focused on the nation’s health. “If I can save one child, it’s more important than the name on any building.”
Trump says his goal for the ambitious project is to transform the cultural institution in Washington, D.C., into a “World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment.” Kennedy Center Board Chairman Richard Grenell shares that vision.
KENNEDY CENTER TO CLOSE FOR TWO YEARS FOR RENOVATIONS, TRUMP SAYS
“It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center just makes sense – it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive. It also means we will be finished faster. President Trump has a reputation for delivering large construction projects on time, under budget and beautifully finished,” Grenell wrote on X.
“This will be a brief closure in retrospect,” he added, “and I am confident this sets the stage for a stronger, revitalized National Cultural and Entertainment Complex.”
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