Trump announces Kennedy Center will close July 4 for two-year renovation

President Trump announced on February 1 that the Kennedy Center would close on July 4, 2026 for approximately two years of renovation. Congress had appropriated $257 million for the center, partly for deferred maintenance. The board had renamed it the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center in December 2025. A subsequent leaked internal memo showed the planned renovations were cosmetic — new seating, carpet, and a color scheme change — contradicting Trump's public claims of dramatic transformation.