Kennedy Center Board Votes to Restore Trump's Name, Close Building for 2-Year, $250M Renovation

The Kennedy Center's Trump-appointed board of trustees voted on August 13, 2026 to add the inscription 'Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump' beneath the venue's main signage and to designate the surrounding grounds 'President Donald J. Trump Plaza,' about three months after a federal judge ordered Trump's name removed from the building, ruling only Congress could authorize such a change. The board also approved closing the main building until 2028 for a $250 million infrastructure renewal project — the most extreme of three closure options presented. Democratic board member Rep. Joyce Beatty called the move 'a transparent effort to circumvent the Court's ruling'; the decision is expected to trigger further litigation.