The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC will be closed for a two-year renovation beginning in July, President Donald Trump has announced.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said the centre would close on 4 July this year in honor of the 250th Anniversary of our Country.
The move follows several artists cancelling performances at the storied institution after it was recently renamed as the Trump Kennedy Center.
Shortly after taking office, the president fired several of the board members at the centre and replaced them with allies, who then voted to make Trump chairman of the board.
The new board renamed the institution the Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in December, and new signage appeared on the building's exterior the following day.
Several musical acts, including Steven Schwartz, the composer of the musical Wicked, and a group called Doug Varone and the Dancers, cancelled performances in the following weeks because of the Trump name change.
On Thursday, the venue hosted a premiere screening of a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump.
Trump has stated there would be a scheduled grand reopening for the facility, and that the renovations had already been financed.
He remarked, I have determined that The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for construction, revitalization, and complete rebuilding, can be the finest performing arts facility of its kind, anywhere in the world. He added that closing the center is crucial for optimal construction quality and timeline.
Additionally, Trump allocated over $250 million to rebuild the center as part of various renovation projects during his term.
However, some US lawmakers and legal scholars have raised concerns that the center's name change—legislated in a 1964 law—requires congressional approval. Democratic US Representative Joyce Beatty has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Trump's name due to this requirement.
Furthermore, some members of President John F. Kennedy's family have expressed disapproval over the name change, emphasizing the center's significance as a memorial to the late president.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the renovation will impact the center and its legacy.
