The Kennedy Center board moved this week to press ahead with renovations and a naming plan tied to President Trump, prompting sharp objections from Democrats and their lawyers and raising the prospect of another court fight over who controls this national landmark.
The federal judge’s earlier ruling blocked a unilateral plan to close the center for years and add Trump’s name without Congress. Board members met Thursday and approved a set of changes that supporters say respect both repairs and the president’s role. The updates aim to shrink the impact on performances while allowing major work to move forward on the main building.
Supporters argue the plan is practical and focused on getting the job done quickly. They point out the center has aging systems that need immediate attention and that a phased approach keeps the arts alive. The board’s proposal closes the main building temporarily but keeps other venues open, a compromise meant to limit disruption.
https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2087981358027256249
Those in favor also put forward a wording for signage that highlights restoration by President Trump without erasing the center’s legacy. Board allies framed it as recognition for funding and leadership on a major renovation project. Opponents, however, see the move as an end-run around the court’s decision and the statutes Congress passed.
NOW: The Trump-Kennedy Center Board has just voted to GREENLIGHT Donald Trump’s renovations, and to place his name on the performing arts center — despite an activist judge trying to block it
Good! Trump is fully restoring it, the man deserves it
The sign would read: “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.”
A leftist judge will likely try to intervene again. Ignore and renovate!
A presidential appointee on the board made the practical case directly, urging critics to see the condition of the building for themselves. “I call on everyone who is complaining about what we’re doing to go walk the building,” Paolo Zampolli said, describing needed repairs and a plan to stage shows elsewhere. The plan uses the Reach, a $300 million structure, to continue performances while the main building undergoes work.
Paolo Zampolli, a presidential appointee to the board, fired back at critics, urging Trump’s name to be inscribed in large letters and ridiculing opposition to the temporary closure as willfully ignorant of necessary repairs and improvements.
“I call on everyone who is complaining about what we’re doing to go walk the building,” Zampolli told The Post. “To all of the haters, we’re not closing the center. We’re closing the main building. We’re still going to use the $300 million structure called the Reach to do shows.”
Those defending the board stress that leadership matters when revitalizing a national cultural institution. White House messaging echoed that line, saying the center is on a path to excellence under the president’s direction. Board members who support the plan characterize the approach as a way to preserve programming while addressing structural problems that cannot wait.
Democratic critics were swift and vocal in their response, calling the board’s moves an attempt to sidestep the court and the law. Representative Joyce Beatty, whose lawsuit began this dispute, said the decision to close the center and reintroduce Trump’s name amounted to another transparent effort to circumvent the court’s ruling. Her statement framed the board action as contrary to statutes enacted by Congress.
Beatty said, “This morning’s decision to close the Center and the surprise agenda item to put Donald Trump’s name back on the building was more of the same. This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the Court’s ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed.”
“I will continue to fight for this treasured national monument,” she added.
Her legal team described the vote as disrespectful to the courts and warned the defendants must answer for their actions. That language signals litigation could follow, and observers expect renewed filings and courtroom challenges. For now, the board has pushed ahead with a plan supporters argue balances preservation, access, and recognition of the president’s role.
The debate highlights a broader tension over institutional control and how national memorials should be managed. On one side are those who see an energetic private-led renovation and a nod to presidential involvement; on the other are lawmakers and legal advocates focused on process and statutory limits. The fight over the Kennedy Center will likely move from statements to legal briefs as both sides stake their positions.
Editor’s Note: President Trump is leading America into the “Golden Age” as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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