The Kennedy Center, also known as The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is a large cultural complex in Washington, D.C., hosting various theater, dance, and musical performances. It is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera. In December 2025 the center’s board announced that it had changed the complex’s name to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. However, some in Congress say that changing the name of the center requires congressional approval, and in June 2026 a federal judge ordered that all references to Trump be removed from the center. In September 2026 the Kennedy Center was closed for renovations, but President Trump was seen with a poster that indicated potential plans to demolish the center. In response, a federal judge ordered that the court be given 30 days’ notice before any construction work could begin. Thousands of area residents, fearing that Trump would demolish the center, as he did the East Wing of the White House for a ballroom, formed a human chain around the perimeter of the building.
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