President Trump says he wants to turn Washington's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts into what he calls a "World Class Bastion" of culture—by shuttering it for roughly two years, the Washington Post reports. In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump said he plans to temporarily close the federally chartered arts complex starting July 4 so it can undergo what he described as a comprehensive overhaul, though the move still needs approval from the institution's board. He promised it would become "the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World."
Trump, who reconstituted the Kennedy Center's board and became its chairman last February, argued that remaining open during construction would drag out the work and compromise quality. "If we don't close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good," he wrote, adding that financing for the project is "completed, and fully in place." He did not give any details regarding estimated cost or whether federal funding, private donations, or both would pay for the renovations, Fox News reports. He characterized the center as "tired, broken, and dilapidated," in line with his earlier claims that it is in "tremendous disrepair," with problems including malfunctioning elevators, rats, and deteriorating concrete in its parking garage.
The Kennedy Center and the White House did not respond to requests for comment on the proposal. Trump and his appointees have repeatedly accused prior leadership of mishandling finances but have not provided documentation to back up those claims, according to the Post. Internally, the institution has been in flux: most senior programming officials have either resigned or been removed, and just last week Kevin Couch, hired as senior vice president of artistic programming, stepped down less than two weeks after his appointment was announced.
The artistic fallout has been visible onstage and off. Ticket and subscription sales have slumped over the past year, leaving more empty seats, while a roster of prominent performers and productions has withdrawn since Trump's name was added to the center's branding. Those backing out include composer Philip Glass, soprano Renée Fleming, banjoist Béla Fleck, and Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz. Fleming and musician Ben Folds also left their advisory roles. A source tells CNN the "growing artist boycott was becoming untenable," the outlet says. The source claims Couch left because he was struggling to get anyone well-known to perform there.
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