The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees is prepared to vote on 10 different options for restoring President Donald Trump’s name to the exterior of the building this week.
The board members are set to convene on Tuesday as the prestigious performing arts institution finds itself on the verge of bankruptcy.
The board appears intent on formally recognizing the president in return for his help with fundraising efforts, according to a draft resolution on the special meeting’s agenda. The document features 10 options for adding Trump’s name to the exterior marble beneath the center’s name. Each suggestion highlights Trump’s dedication to financially supporting the cultural landmark in Washington, D.C.
The proposal demonstrates how the board is trying to circumvent a court order that removed Trump’s name from the building.
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), an ex officio member of the board of trustees, brought the proposal to the court’s attention in a Monday filing.
“Plaintiff originally understood that the purpose of this meeting was to allow Board members to meet with the Delta Consulting Group, in what was a transparent effort to backfill the Board’s closure vote held on August 13, 2026,” the court filing states. “But over the weekend, Defendants transmitted additional materials to the Board, including new putative reports that directly link the closure to the Kennedy Center’s dire financial circumstances.”
During its Tuesday meeting, the board is set to vote on an immediate, temporary shutdown of the Kennedy Center’s operations. Last month, the board voted to keep the center partially open.
The administration has been pushing to close the Kennedy Center for extended renovations, arguing the 55-year-old facility is too dilapidated to continue operating. Earlier this month, a portion of the ceiling collapsed due to a severe thunderstorm that rolled through the nation’s capital. The incident led to renewed calls for upgrading the building.
KENNEDY CENTER, ON BRINK OF BANKRUPTCY, COULD CLOSE AS SOON AS TUESDAY
“Another example of the urgent need to close the renovation and revitalization, as our Chairman President Trump has championed,” Kennedy Center spokeswoman Roma Daravi said. “Fortunately, no one was injured when the main hall’s ceiling collapsed. This structural failure stems from decades of neglect deferred maintenance by the previous leadership, and there’s no justification to further delays in restoring America’s cultural center.”
Beatty remains opposed to the administration’s plan to close the center. The congresswoman led the lawsuit that resulted in a court ruling halting the planned two-year renovations and removing Trump’s name from the center’s branding.