Trump plans to close Kennedy Center for 2 years

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he plans to close The Kennedy Center for two years beginning in July.

What we know:

In a social media post, the president called the historic performing arts venue “tired, broken and dilapidated” and said the closure is needed in order for the building to undergo major construction and be transformed into a “World Class Bastion of Arts, Music and Entertainment.” 

Trump added that the decision was based on input from “many Highly Respected Experts.”

“America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come,” the president wrote. 

If approved by The Kennedy Center’s board, which Trump chairs, the venue will close on July 4, the nation’s 250th birthday. 

Artists respond to Kennedy renaming 

Dig deeper:

The president’s announcement came just days after the premiere of “Melania,” a documentary about the first lady, was shown at the Kennedy Center.

It also came following backlash from artists around the world who have chosen to pull out of their performances in response to the Center’s board voting to rename the venue “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts” late last year. Many members of the board were appointed by the president himself. 

The most recent artist to cancel their performance is composer Philip Glass, who said in a statement last month that “the values of The Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict” with the message of his Symphony No. 15, which explores the life of President Abraham Lincoln.