The Kennedy Center's board voted to close the venue immediately after a federal judge blocked adding President Trump's name to the building, with Trump threatening to withhold renovation funding pending appeal.

The Kennedy Center's board voted on Tuesday to close the performing arts venue immediately, hours after a federal judge barred the institution from adding President Donald Trump's name to its building — a decision that leaves the future of one of America's most prominent cultural landmarks in doubt.

The board meeting began only minutes after Judge Christopher R. Cooper issued a 22-page ruling rejecting the board's latest attempt to place Trump's name on the facade. In the decision, Cooper accused the president and his allies of "linguistic gymnastics" and of playing "word games" to evade a governing statute that prohibits new memorials at the center without congressional approval.

A Judge's Rebuke

Cooper sided with Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio board member who sued last December to stop the board from renaming the institution "The Trump Kennedy Center." The board had voted last month to add the phrase "restored and renovated by" in small type below the center's existing name, followed by "President Donald J. Trump" in lettering matching the size of John F. Kennedy's name.

"Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing," Cooper wrote. "The board resolution bucks a federal court order and a statute Congress enacted."

The judge dismissed the board's argument that the addition was a "recognition" or "acknowledgment" rather than a memorial. "Common sense dictates that the words 'renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump' establish a memorial," he wrote.

Cooper also left open, for now, the question of whether the board may name a planned $100 million fund after Trump — an issue he said was premature until that fundraising goal is met.

Closure and a Funding Threat

Trump responded on Truth Social by confirming the closure, attributing it to "Safety reasons," and threatening to withhold funding for renovations unless a higher court reverses the ruling.

"The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board's approved name," Trump wrote. "If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place."

Trump said he would pursue an expedited appeal. Beatty filed the president's statement with the federal court.

Financial and Structural Troubles

Kennedy Center administrators told the board in recent days that the main building's physical plant is unsafe and that the center's finances are "within weeks" of bankruptcy, according to NPR. Kennedy Center officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The institution was already operating in a diminished state. Ticket sales had fallen sharply, and numerous prominent artists had canceled planned appearances, saying the center had become politicized under Trump. Most administrative staff had either been fired or had left, and few events remained on the calendar.

The board has signaled its intent to close the main venues for months. A smaller, recently opened extension called the REACH will remain open, in part to satisfy the congressional mandate that the living memorial to President John F. Kennedy remain accessible to the public.

In documents filed with the federal court, the board said it intends to preserve two of the center's signature programs and to support the National Symphony Orchestra, whose budget is tied to the Kennedy Center. A proposed resolution pledges "continued programming in the REACH and offsite," along with continued support for the National Symphony Orchestra and the center's longstanding tradition of presenting the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize.

The resolution states that such arrangements would allow enough engagement with artists, donors and patrons that "a two-year closure of the main building will not unduly affect its ability to ramp up programming in a revitalized main building in 2028."

An Institution Under New Stewardship

Most of the current board members are Trump allies selected by the president, who also serves as the institution's chair. They include former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Fox host Laura Ingraham, and Dana Kraft, the wife of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

The board has no known experience in administering a performing arts institution. The center's last president, former Ambassador Richard Grenell, sought to require that every performance be revenue-generating or at least revenue-neutral. Its current executive director and chief operating officer, Matt Floca, was elevated from his role as head of facilities and, unlike his counterparts at similar centers nationally, has no prior experience in artistic direction, fundraising or arts administration.

The Kennedy Center was established by Congress in 1958 and renamed in honor of President John F. Kennedy, a prominent supporter of the arts, after his assassination in 1963. Its facade has been partially covered for months while the legal dispute over Trump's name has played out in the courts.

With the main building now closed and renovation funding contingent on the outcome of an appeal, the dispute has moved from a fight over signage to a question of whether the venue can reopen on schedule in 2028 — or at all.