Over the weekend, Trump announced that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts would shut down for two years. In a late-night Truth Social post, he described the iconic venue as “tired, broken, and dilapidated,” saying it would close on July 4 for a complete rebuild.
But members of JFK’s family were not convinced. And they did not stay quiet.
Maria Shriver, President Kennedy’s niece, quickly challenged Trump’s explanation. She suggested the closure had little to do with construction and everything to do with reputation.
According to Shriver, performers began canceling soon after Trump forced his way into the Kennedy Center’s leadership and put his name on it. In her view, artists simply no longer want to perform there. As she put it, entertainers are “canceling left and right.”
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She went further, suggesting the real goal may be to erase the controversy by rebuilding a new center that carries Trump’s name. In her view, the problem is not the building. It is the branding.
Translation: It has been brought to my attention that due to the name change (but nobody’s telling me it’s due to the name change), but it’s been brought to my attention that entertainers are canceling left and right, and I have determined that since the name change no one wants… https://t.co/BDsjQeOAC9
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) February 2, 2026
Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s only grandson, was far more direct. He accused Trump of trying to take over a national cultural symbol and bend it to his own image.
“Trump can take the Kennedy Center for himself. He can change the name, shut the doors, and demolish the building. He can try to kill JFK,” Schlossberg wrote.
Schlossberg argued that Trump cannot erase his grandfather’s legacy, no matter how much power he grabs. He framed the fight as broader than a single building, calling it a struggle over history, culture, and freedom.
Trump can take the Kennedy Center for himself.
He can change the name, shut the doors, and demolish the building.
He can try to kill JFK.
But JFK is kept alive by us now rising up to remove Donald Trump, bring him to justice, and restore the freedoms generations fought for.
— Jack Schlossberg (@JBKSchlossberg) February 2, 2026
This is not Schlossberg’s first clash with Trump’s world. Just days earlier, he criticized Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., blaming him for a measles outbreak that threatens the country’s elimination status. The family divide, already public, is now impossible to ignore.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did the Kennedy Center.
Trump ally Richard Grenell, whom Trump installed as president of the Kennedy Center, tried to spin the closure as a win. He claimed the building “desperately” needs renovation and praised Trump’s record on construction projects.
But the numbers tell a different story.
Since Trump took control and packed the board with MAGA loyalists, ticket sales have fallen sharply. A Washington Post review of ticket data found that sales at the center’s largest venues were the worst in three years.
Artists have been voting with their feet.
Composer Philip Glass recently pulled his world premiere, saying he felt an obligation to withdraw under the current leadership. Renée Fleming canceled her appearance. The Martha Graham Dance Company dropped its show. The Washington National Opera ended a five-decade run.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
