Trump–Kennedy Center details massive repairs, warns venue won’t survive without fixes
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
The massive renovations at the Trump–Kennedy Center that are expected to shutter Washington’s premier performing arts venue for two years will focus on correcting deferred maintenance — including overhauling its heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems and fixing its broken elevators, Fox News Digital learned.
"In less than 1 year, Trump has balanced the budget, raised over $130 million from donors, and secured $257 million from Congress," Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We are financially stable yet the building is still physically in trouble."
"Decades of gross negligence left this institution with a broken budget, $100 million operating deficit, $26 million bottom-line deficit, and $250 million of deferred maintenance needs," she continued.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the venue would close July 4, which coincides with America 250 celebrations honoring the nation's semiquincentennial anniversary of the U.S.' founding.
FROM THE OVAL OFFICE TO THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER, THE GILDED MAKEOVER EXPANDS
"If we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!" Trump said on Truth Social Sunday explaining why the complex needs to shutter for two years.
A Trump–Kennedy official told Fox News Digital that the complex, which first opened in 1971, has suffered decades of neglect by former leadership that has left the building in "extremely poor condition."
The official described the renovations as "a restoration and beautification project," that will include updating its broken elevators, updating its HVAC system and taking on $250 million in maintenance issues that the official said were ignored by previous leadership.
Presidents historically have played direct roles in Kennedy Center governance, appointing most of the institution’s board of trustees to six-year terms under federal law. Trump appointed a new board in 2025, which then elected him their chairman.
The official said the Trump–Kennedy Center would simply not survive if the maintenance was not done.
OSCAR-NOMINATED COMPOSER LATEST PERFORMER TO PULL TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE OVER 'CONFLICT' WITH VALUES
Trump said Monday that the renovations will cost an estimated $200 million while underscoring the building is not being torn down.
"I’m not ripping it out," Trump told reporters in the …
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
The massive renovations at the Trump–Kennedy Center that are expected to shutter Washington’s premier performing arts venue for two years will focus on correcting deferred maintenance — including overhauling its heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems and fixing its broken elevators, Fox News Digital learned.
"In less than 1 year, Trump has balanced the budget, raised over $130 million from donors, and secured $257 million from Congress," Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We are financially stable yet the building is still physically in trouble."
"Decades of gross negligence left this institution with a broken budget, $100 million operating deficit, $26 million bottom-line deficit, and $250 million of deferred maintenance needs," she continued.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the venue would close July 4, which coincides with America 250 celebrations honoring the nation's semiquincentennial anniversary of the U.S.' founding.
FROM THE OVAL OFFICE TO THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER, THE GILDED MAKEOVER EXPANDS
"If we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!" Trump said on Truth Social Sunday explaining why the complex needs to shutter for two years.
A Trump–Kennedy official told Fox News Digital that the complex, which first opened in 1971, has suffered decades of neglect by former leadership that has left the building in "extremely poor condition."
The official described the renovations as "a restoration and beautification project," that will include updating its broken elevators, updating its HVAC system and taking on $250 million in maintenance issues that the official said were ignored by previous leadership.
Presidents historically have played direct roles in Kennedy Center governance, appointing most of the institution’s board of trustees to six-year terms under federal law. Trump appointed a new board in 2025, which then elected him their chairman.
The official said the Trump–Kennedy Center would simply not survive if the maintenance was not done.
OSCAR-NOMINATED COMPOSER LATEST PERFORMER TO PULL TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE OVER 'CONFLICT' WITH VALUES
Trump said Monday that the renovations will cost an estimated $200 million while underscoring the building is not being torn down.
"I’m not ripping it out," Trump told reporters in the …
Trump–Kennedy Center details massive repairs, warns venue won’t survive without fixes
This feels like a quiet policy shift.
The massive renovations at the Trump–Kennedy Center that are expected to shutter Washington’s premier performing arts venue for two years will focus on correcting deferred maintenance — including overhauling its heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems and fixing its broken elevators, Fox News Digital learned.
"In less than 1 year, Trump has balanced the budget, raised over $130 million from donors, and secured $257 million from Congress," Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We are financially stable yet the building is still physically in trouble."
"Decades of gross negligence left this institution with a broken budget, $100 million operating deficit, $26 million bottom-line deficit, and $250 million of deferred maintenance needs," she continued.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the venue would close July 4, which coincides with America 250 celebrations honoring the nation's semiquincentennial anniversary of the U.S.' founding.
FROM THE OVAL OFFICE TO THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER, THE GILDED MAKEOVER EXPANDS
"If we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!" Trump said on Truth Social Sunday explaining why the complex needs to shutter for two years.
A Trump–Kennedy official told Fox News Digital that the complex, which first opened in 1971, has suffered decades of neglect by former leadership that has left the building in "extremely poor condition."
The official described the renovations as "a restoration and beautification project," that will include updating its broken elevators, updating its HVAC system and taking on $250 million in maintenance issues that the official said were ignored by previous leadership.
Presidents historically have played direct roles in Kennedy Center governance, appointing most of the institution’s board of trustees to six-year terms under federal law. Trump appointed a new board in 2025, which then elected him their chairman.
The official said the Trump–Kennedy Center would simply not survive if the maintenance was not done.
OSCAR-NOMINATED COMPOSER LATEST PERFORMER TO PULL TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE OVER 'CONFLICT' WITH VALUES
Trump said Monday that the renovations will cost an estimated $200 million while underscoring the building is not being torn down.
"I’m not ripping it out," Trump told reporters in the …
