What’s next for the Kennedy Center? Amid Trump name debate and bankruptcy report, Americans weigh in

0 September 14, 2026 19:22

Officials at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts say the iconic institution faces potential bankruptcy in a matter of weeks, and that President Donald Trump won’t lead its "fiscal rescue" unless his name is added to the institution’s facade to recognize his efforts.

A resolution prepared for the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees ‒ to be voted on at its Tuesday, Sept. 15 meeting ‒ proposes 10 different wordings and phrases to recognize Trump’s financial support for the center with an inscription below the center’s main exterior sign.

The resolution, drafted by Trump officials aligned with the White House, says the center can no longer complete payroll obligations or fulfill routine maintenance contracts and faces "certain fiscal collapse within weeks." It says Trump has "offered to step in and raise the necessary funds to keep the Center from bankruptcy during its much needed renovation."

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/14/trump-kennedy-center-name-bankruptcy-closure/91759734007/

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