Donald Trump began leaving his mark on the Kennedy Center before his name ever graced the building’s exterior facade.
His sweeping changes to Washington, D.C., include gilded monuments, the reflecting pool’s worsening deterioration, and a grandiose reimagining of the White House, among other vanity projects.
But the Kennedy Center takeover may be his most controversial, as the building is forced to change the venue of its most highly regarded event.
The hijacking of the slain president John F. Kennedy’s living memorial was depicted as an overdue renovation. Fallen chunks of the grand foyer’s ceiling was used as proof to defend Trump’s agenda.
It devolved into Trump, 80, demanding recognition when he tacked on “Donald J. Trump” to the center’s name.
The renaming has been a point of contention throughout ongoing court injunctions.
His team has demanded “Donald J. Trump” be reinstalled, and other references to him be implemented around the campus, ensuring his legacy is forever intertwined with the Democratic politician.
An X user ranted, “It is sick what this man and his band of psychos are doing. He wanted to tie himself to Kennedy’s name so he could feel loved and he’s willing to destroy this beautiful monument dedicated to a beloved POTUS just bc he got slapped down. It’s pathetic and gross.”
That single act appeared to mark the start of the performing arts complex’s decline. The building now stands shuttered amid a looming bankruptcy.
The annual Kennedy Center Honors event is being relocated for the first time ever. The star-studded gala will be held at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, DC, on Monday, December 7.
Meanwhile, the Kennedy Center remains locked for a proposed two-year renovation, with Trump-aligned leaders arguing they need his fundraising help — and his name on the building. Both moves face a lawsuit.
“Yeah I’m sure it’s all about Evil Orange Man wanting his name on it and not the fact they have been pocketing the money by neglecting building maintenance and it’s unsafe for people to be in,” one X user wrote.
Another said, “Just to stroke someone’s ego, we are doing this crazy dance. What a way to honor the recipients.”
In another development, Slippedisc confirmed that the Steinway pianos in the closed Kennedy Center are being moved to its Georgetown showroom, where they may be sold.
But behind closed doors, though, Trump had already begun erasing years of culture and Kennedy honors.
A bombshell report by The New York Times revealed emails and insider intel laying out Trump and his gaggle of Kennedy Center co-conspirators’ plan to transform the venue.
For starters, Trump and his cronies have been replacing pieces of the art collection.
“You can definitely start sending stuff back to the countries who donated it now. Figure out everything you don’t want and just send it back A.S.A.P.,” Richard Grenell, the center’s director, told Josef Palermo, the center’s then-first-ever visual arts curator, in October 2025.
A “de-accession” memo revealed the changes “may include disposal via the following means: return to country of origin, transfer or exchange with another institution, public sale or destruction.”
A critic quipped, “Trump wanted to sell the art inside?! I wonder whose bank account the money would have went to?”
This month, the 24-foot “Blue” sculpture outside the main building was dismantled without public notice. Former Kennedy Center chairman David Rubenstein, who Trump replaced, purchased it for more than $2 million after it was removed.
The removals were said to rid the center of “outdated or inappropriate artworks,” per Trump’s liking, and install artwork exemplifying “shared American Values.”
A naysayer commented, “That’s because Trump is planning on stripping all the good stuff for his ballroom.”
The African Lounge was stripped of 15 pieces, then closed to the public while gold leaf portraits of Trump, Elon Musk, and RFK Jr. were hung.
Speculation that Trump may soon demolish the Kennedy Center gained traction after he was spotted onboard Air Force One reviewing plans for the proposed destruction.
Protesters rallied around the center the weekend of Sept. 19-20, demanding Trump keep his “Hands Off the Arts.”
