The storied Kennedy Center in Washington is facing imminent bankruptcy and could shut its doors within days, according to a report by the Washington Post. Documents obtained on Sunday reveal that the performing arts center's board of trustees is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on whether to close its main building due to urgent financial and safety needs.
Internal documents warn that the institution "could be unable to make payroll or pay routine maintenance contracts" within a matter of weeks. To prevent a total shutdown, leadership is proposing to publicly credit President Donald Trump with the center's renovation on the exterior of the building. According to the 57-page pre-meeting packet, trustees are being asked to choose from 10 different text options to be placed beneath the center's name, a move supporters argue is essential to securing the fundraising needed to keep the venue afloat.
The performing arts center, named in honor of late President John F. Kennedy—who championed civil rights before his assassination in 1963—has been embroiled in naming disputes since Trump appointed himself chairman shortly after beginning his second term. Although the board voted in December to rename the venue the "Trump-Kennedy" center, that decision was subsequently blocked in court.
The center's financial situation has deteriorated rapidly as a host of artists have canceled scheduled performances, causing ticket sales to plummet to their lowest levels since the Covid pandemic. The center is projected to collect only about $124 million of its budgeted $220 million in revenue, leaving a deficit of approximately $23 million even after implementing substantial spending cuts during the past fiscal year.
Compounding the financial crisis is physical damage to the historic structure. Earlier this month, a severe storm caused a "roughly four-by-five-foot section of ceiling plaster" to break loose in the Grand Foyer and fall about 60 feet. When asked about the report, the Kennedy Center declined to comment and referred to a recent statement from spokesperson Roma Daravi, who blamed the current state of the facility on "decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by the previous leadership." An anonymous spokesperson added that "adding Chairman President Trump's name to the building attracted new donors and was crucial to raising additional funds for the Center's renovation."
