Members of the Kennedy family have sharply criticized President Donald Trump following his announcement that the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will close for two years beginning July 4, marking an escalating dispute over the president’s takeover of the prestigious performing arts venue.
Maria Shriver, the niece of President John F. Kennedy, suggested that the real reason for the Kennedy Center closure was not renovation but a wave of artist cancellations following the facility’s controversial renaming. Trump announced the closure in a social media post, saying the center is tired, broken, and dilapidated.
Shriver mocked Trump’s stated rationale in a post on social media, suggesting he was closing the center due to the change in schedule and would rebuild a new center bearing his name to distract from the cancellations.
Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy’s grandson, delivered a more pointed rebuke, saying Trump is trying to kill JFK.
Joe Kennedy III, a great-nephew of President Kennedy, called the move a trespass on the People’s will. The former Massachusetts congressman emphasized that Congress had voted to make the Kennedy Center a living memorial to President Kennedy as a place built by the people for the people to celebrate what connects Americans.
The family criticism follows a tumultuous period for the Kennedy Center that began when Trump appointed himself as chairman and installed MAGA loyalists to the institution’s historically bipartisan board in February 2025. In December 2025, the board voted to rename the facility the Trump-Kennedy Center, and Trump subsequently added his name to the building’s facade.
The name change triggered an immediate backlash from the artistic community. Renowned composer and pianist Philip Glass withdrew his world premiere from the venue. Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming canceled her performance, and the Martha Graham Dance Company, one of the oldest dance companies in the United States, canceled its April show. The Washington National Opera ended its residency at the Kennedy Center after five decades.
Ticket sales at the Kennedy Center declined significantly following Trump’s takeover. In October, seven months after Trump’s board appointments, the three largest performance venues at the facility experienced poor sales figures, according to an analysis of ticketing data. The decline was attributed in part to the series of cancellations by artists and performing groups who objected to the name change and new leadership.
Trump’s announcement stated the center would undergo construction, revitalization, and complete rebuilding for two years. The president claimed that without closing the facility, the quality of construction would not be as good and the time to completion would be much longer because of interruption from audiences attending events.
Richard Grenell, whom Trump appointed as president of the Kennedy Center, defended the closure, saying the renovation is desperately needed and that temporarily closing the Center just makes sense. He expressed gratitude for Trump’s leadership and noted that Congress appropriated $257 million to address decades of deferred maintenance and repairs at the facility.
Grenell said his goal has always been to save and permanently strengthen what he called the Trump Kennedy Center. Congress had appropriated the funds for maintenance work at the venue, providing the financial resources for the extensive renovation Trump announced.
Following the December 2025 renaming, the Trump-Kennedy Center will close on July 4 in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
One member of the Kennedy family broke ranks with his relatives. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as Trump’s secretary of health and human services, said in December 2025 that he had bigger fish to fry regarding the Kennedy Center renaming. He has not commented on the two-year closure announcement.
The Kennedy Center was established by Congress as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The facility has served as the nation’s premier venue for performing arts, hosting performances by world-class musicians, dancers, and theater companies. Its mission has been to serve as a cultural hub where Americans could gather to experience and celebrate the arts.
The controversy over the Kennedy Center occurred as Trump has sought to place his mark on various institutions and monuments. Adding his name to the Kennedy Center facade required congressional approval to formally change the building’s name, though Trump proceeded with adding his name to the exterior before receiving such authorization.
Trump has also used the Kennedy Center for political events. In January 2026, House Republicans held a retreat at the venue on January 6, 2026, where the president addressed lawmakers about the upcoming midterm elections and other political matters.
The departures of prominent artists represented a significant blow to the Kennedy Center’s reputation and programming. Philip Glass, whose career spans decades and includes numerous operas, symphonies, and film scores, specifically cited the current leadership as his reason for withdrawing his world premiere. The Washington National Opera’s decision to end five decades of residency at the facility marked one of the most dramatic responses to the Trump takeover.
The Kennedy family’s unified opposition to Trump’s actions regarding the memorial to their relative reflects the broader political divisions in American society. Schlossberg, who has been vocal in his criticism of the Trump administration, previously blamed his first cousin once removed, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for a measles outbreak that threatened the United States’ status as having eliminated the disease.
Joe Kennedy III emphasized in his statement that President Kennedy would remind Americans that buildings do not define the greatness of a nation, but rather the actions of its people and its leaders. He warned people not to be distracted from what the Trump administration is actually trying to erase: connection, community, and commitment to the rights of all Americans.
The two-year closure means the Kennedy Center will be shuttered through much of Trump’s current presidential term, eliminating a major cultural venue in the nation’s capital during a significant period. Whether the facility will retain Trump’s name when it reopens remains uncertain, as formal congressional approval for the name change has not been secured.