Kennedy Center board votes to close for renovations and add Trump's name: Rep. Beatty

The Kennedy Center board has voted to close the cultural institution for two years of renovations and to add President Donald J. Trump's name to the building, according to Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, a member of the board. The front of the Washington building would display: "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump."

Beatty criticized the decision, stating it is a transparent attempt to circumvent a court ruling and disregards statutes Congress passed. The White House defended the move, saying the Kennedy Center is on its way to becoming the finest cultural institution globally under President Trump's leadership. The board is under a court order to report its plans within five days, with Judge Christopher Cooper rejecting the board's previous attempt to rename the center and instructing it to remove President Trump's name.