Kennedy Center closes amid financial crisis and Trump name dispute
The president said renovations would not move forward unless his name was added to the building.
The board of Kennedy Center in Washington, DC has voted to shutter the historic venue’s doors, citing what it described as a dire financial crisis amid critically needed renovations.
The board, comprised of allies of US President Donald Trump, met on Tuesday just hours after US District Judge Casey Cooper blocked the latest effort to add US President Donald Trump’s name back to the venue.
The closure marks the latest escalation in a months-long standoff between the courts and Trump after previous attempts to close the country’s premier performing arts centre. After a judge ruled that changing the building’s name to include Trump required congressional approval, the president’s appointed board has argued that the building’s survival hinged on keeping his name on its facade.
The legal team representing US Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty – who, as an ex officio board member, sued to block Trump administration changes to the venue – praised Tuesday’s ruling as a “victory for the memory” of former President John F Kennedy and the nation.