First the ballroom, now this: Trump closes Kennedy Center for 2 years

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the title of the Kennedy Center's new executive director.

WASHINGTON – One year after naming himself chair of the Kennedy Center, President Donald Trump presided over the performing arts center’s board as it voted unanimously on March 16 to approve the president’s proposed renovations and shut down the center for two years.

Last year, Trump fired all members of the board and installed handpicked members, including second lady Usha Vance, Allison Lutnick, the wife of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Susie Wiles, the president's chief of staff.

The board meeting came days after Trump announced via Truth Social that Richard Grenell, a close foreign policy adviser, was exiting his role leading the arts venue, which was renamed the Trump Kennedy Center last year by the board.

In the same post, Trump named Matt Floca, the building’s vice president for facilities and operations, as its next executive director, crediting him with helping achieve "tremendous progress" on the center's ongoing revamp. The board also voted to confirm Floca.

Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio ‒ one of more than 20 ex officio members who do not have voting rights on the board ‒ filed a lawsuit that included a request that she be allowed to take part in the March 16 board meeting at the White House.

A federal judge ruled in her favor on March 14, saying she should be provided with documents regarding the shutdown of the Kennedy Center and be allowed to attend the meeting.

Democrat opposes Trump Kennedy Center renovation project

Beatty, who opposes the plan to shut down the center for a $200 million renovation project, told reporters after her White House meeting that she had made her opposition to the process known.

"I was very clear in advising them that while I'm not against renovations, if they need to be done," she said via Zoom meeting. "I am totally against the process."

She said not allowing Congress to "weigh in" was unlawful.

"By statute, the John F. Kennedy Center is the only living memorial that we have that was designated by the Congress to have that role. So violation one, putting Donald Trump's name on the building," said Beatty. "And then to announce that it was going to be closed."

Norm Eisen, co-executive Chair of Democracy Defenders Action, who joined Beatty on the call, said they would be returning "expeditiously" to the court to address the "illegality of the closure of the Kennedy Center, including without congressional authorization, as well as the other unlawful actions here, including the renaming of this living memorial."

Explaining the personnel decision during the board meeting, Trump emphasized that Grennell wasn’t fired from the role and instead was only ever meant to run the venue temporarily.  

“I'm looking for your next venture,” the president told Grennell, who served as ambassador to Germany and then acting director of national intelligence in Trump’s first term. The president called Floca a “pro at construction,” but said that he’d fire him and nominate somebody else if the board didn’t agree.

On other proposed changes, including plans to shutter the Kennedy for two years while it undergoes major renovations, Trump joked it was a “little late” for the board to vote no: "We've already announced it, but these are minor, these are minor details... I think everybody agrees."

Trump talks Kennedy Center renovations

Trump’s remodel of the Kennedy Center is one of many design projects the president has undertaken in his second term, including the building of a White House ballroom and a proposed ‘independence arc’ near the Lincoln Memorial.  

“What I do best in life is build. I build buildings really well,” Trump told the center’s board during the meeting that was held at the White House.

He’s already made a smattering of changes to the more than 50-year-old performing arts center – brandishing the building with its new name, “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” and repainting its gold beams white.  

“We got rid of the gold columns, which looked always terrible. They looked cheap and they looked fake,” the president said. 

Other changes are on the way. During the “complete reconstruction,” set to begin after July 4, the center plans to fix plumbing, electrical and structural problems. Trump said the center had already purchased new seating, “a lot of the marbles and some of the things that are hard to get.”  

Shutting down the facility during renovations was necessary, he argued, telling reporters the Trump Kennedy Center was on "the verge of collapse."

“It’s hard to show Shakespeare when you don’t have any seats," Trump said. "As the seats are being changed, it's not exactly a great experience with people.”  

During the meeting, Trump was flanked by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on his right, Wiles on his left, who minutes ahead of the meeting announced she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.  

Trump called Wiles "fantastic" and an "amazing fighter" during the board meeting. 

"She announced a minor difficulty," he said. He patted Wiles on the shoulder and told her, "You'll be around for a long time." 

A who’s who of Trump allies, whom the president appointed to the board, sat around the table, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and casino tycoon Steve Wynn. 

“Under the leadership of this board, which, as you see, incredible, we’re achieving a very dramatic and quick turnaround,” the president said of changes to the Trump-Kennedy center. 

Ticket sales at the performing arts venue have plummeted since Trump took over last year and some artists have backed out of performances over the renaming of the iconic cultural center.