Board votes to close Kennedy Center immediately for renovations, source says
Earlier Tuesday, a federal judge again blocked the board from adding President Trump's name to the facade of the building.
September 15, 2026 / 3:26 PM EDT / CBS News
The Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board voted to immediately close the institution for renovations, a source familiar with the vote said, after President Trump and his allies on the board repeatedly warned of financial and physical ruin for the center if no action is taken.
"Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing," U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said in his ruling.
Cooper's ruling came in response to the board's vote in August to add the inscription "Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump" beneath the Kennedy Center's name on the building.
Last December, the board had voted to rename the center "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," and added Mr. Trump's name to the facade. Judge Cooper ruled in May that Mr. Trump's name had been added illegally and ordered its removal . At the time, he also blocked the administration from closing the venue for renovations.