Kennedy Center board to vote on planned 2-year closure for renovations

By Daniel Miller
Published  March 16, 2026 8:42am MST
FOX 5 DC
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The Brief

    • On Monday, the board of trustees is voting on a proposed plan to close the Kennedy Center for renovations.
    • A judge has not ruled on whether to pause the Kennedy Center’s proposed two‑year closure.
    • Rep. Joyce Beatty is challenging both the closure plan and the renaming effort in federal court.

President Trump gathered the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center on Monday to vote on plans to close the institution for renovations.

Kennedy Center board vote

The backstory:

The meeting comes as both the proposed closure and the effort to rename the Kennedy Center face legal challenges from Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio legislator and Kennedy Center board member.

FILE-A general view of the facade of The Trump Kennedy Center on January 17, 2026, in Washington, D.C.  (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

RELATED: Trump plans to close Kennedy Center for 2 years

Beatty contends that she was muted during a previous vote on the renaming and stated both moves require congressional approval because the center was established as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy.

Most current board members were appointed by President Donald Trump, though Beatty serves based on her position in Congress. It remains unclear whether the judge will act before Monday’s vote.

According to the New York Times, after an emergency hearing on March 13, Judge Christopher R. Cooperin ruled on March 15 that the board could not reveal some details about the upcoming meeting or prevent Beatty from appearing to voice her opposition.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by FOX 5 DC reporting and The New York Times. This story was reported from Washington, D.C. 

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