The Kennedy Center Honors will be held offsite this year as President Donald Trump effectively holds the institution hostage in his crusade to add his own name to the building.
The Trump-stacked board announced the news Friday, saying the “emergency repairs” that shuttered the building in September meant they could not accommodate the Honors.
Traditionally held in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, the celebration of American performing arts will instead be held at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C.
It’s the latest in a long line of setbacks for the center, which has been plagued by performer cancellations, poor ticket sales, and donor drop-offs since Trump, 80, sacked the director and installed a new board who voted him chair of the center in February 2025.
Trump’s fawning board then moved to rename the D.C. landmark, adding ‘Donald J. Trump’ before assassinated president Kennedy’s name in December 2025.
Created by an act of Congress, the center’s name cannot be changed by the board, or the president, and an Obama-appointed federal judge subsequently ordered that the lettering be removed.
While Trump’s name has been taken down, the tarp obscuring the center’s name remains up, with no reason given for its presence.
In a 580-word screed back in May, Trump hinted to his followers on Truth Social that he would demolish the center if he didn’t get his name on it, claiming there had “never been a President of the United States who has been treated so unfairly by the Courts as I.”
“Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into ‘NEVER NEVER LAND.’”
When Judge Christopher Cooper again ruled that only Congress can act to rename the center in mid-September, the board announced its temporary closure, citing falling ceiling debris as a serious hazard and a dire financial position.
Trump weighed in on Truth Social again, this time directly threatening the landmark if he didn’t get his way.
“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. 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,” he wrote.
Senators from across party lines attempted on Monday to introduce a bill that would prevent Trump from demolishing the Kennedy Center, or any memorial to honor a president of the United States designated by an act of Congress.
Drafted by Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, the bill was blocked by Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.
The legislators told Reuters they wanted to preempt the president abruptly demolishing the building, as he did the East Wing of the White House.
“We were just trying to put whatever guardrails up that we could,” Pingree said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The building opened in 1971 to honor Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963 and a big supporter of the performing arts.
