Trump says Kennedy Center could be 'ripped down' if he doesn't get 'recognition'
A federal judge blocked Trump's name from being added to the building.
September 16, 2026, 9:24 PM
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the Kennedy Center could "close" or be "ripped down" if his administration doesn't receive recognition on the performing arts center as tensions over his name being removed mount.
"I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition. Because frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close. It'll end up being ripped down," the president told reporters on the tarmac in North Carolina.
Trump claimed that the Kennedy Center was a "mess" without his intervention and "has lost 10s of millions of dollars, even hundreds of millions of dollars," comparing it to New York's Carnegie Hall.
U.S. President Donald Trump talks with members of the media after walking off Air Force One at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport on September 16, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Trump is traveling to North Carolina to campaign with Republican Senate nominee, former RNC Chairman Michael Whatley.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The president's comments come after a federal judge on Tuesday blocked the performing arts center's board from adding a tribute to Trump on the building or site. He responded by saying he wouldn't spend congressionally approved funding for the center's renovation unless the building also bears his name.
Congress last year appropriated $257 million for the renovation.
About an hour after the judge's ruling Tuesday, the board, which is controlled by Trump appointees, voted to close the center immediately for renovations, citing safety concerns after a piece of plaster from the ceiling of the grand foyer fell during a heavy rainstorm earlier this month.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen from the air, Aug. 30, 2026, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP Photo
On Tuesday, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said Trump “threw a tantrum because he lost in court” when discussing the Kennedy Center meeting.
“He wasn't pleased with it. He was very explicit with his words, and I responded equally as explicit. He is in contempt of court for what he's doing now in trying to just simply go over and close the Kennedy Center and to have people leave the center,” Beatty told reporters on the House steps Tuesday night.
Beatty said “there was a heated debate” during the meeting.
On Wednesday, fencing was seen being installed around the main building's entrance.
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