Melania Trump documentary to premiere at newly named Trump Kennedy Center
Melania Trump will premiere a new documentary at the Trump Kennedy Center as celebrities gather and the president suggests their legacies are intertwined.
President Donald Trump announced on February 1 that he intends to close the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for two years because it requires renovations.
“We have determined that the quickest way to elevate the Trump Kennedy Center to its highest level of success, beauty and grandeur is to shut down entertainment operations for approximately two years and plan a grand opening that rivals and surpasses anything ever done for such a facility,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
President Trump said the center would close on July 4 “in honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary.” He said the closure would require approval from the center’s board of directors. Immediately after taking office in 2025, the president replaced the previous board of directors with someone of his own choosing, who was then appointed chairman.
The building was previously known as the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center, but the board voted unanimously on December 18 to change the venue’s name to the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center.
The closure comes after the east wing of the White House was demolished for “modernization and renovation” to make way for a new ballroom. Images of the demolition sparked outrage and a legal challenge to the project.
USA TODAY has reached out to the center for further comment.
When Star cancels, closure comes.
The center has hosted more than 2,000 events a year, according to its website.
But in the wake of President Trump’s takeover of the venue, a number of performers have canceled their appearances, including Issa Rae, “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz and, most recently, Nashville banjo player Béla Fleck.
Schwartz said in a statement to Newsday that the center “no longer represents its original purpose: the apolitical space for free artistic expression.”
The venue was the venue for the premiere screening of “Melania,” a documentary about first lady Melania Trump produced by Amazon, on January 29.
President Trump said in a recent post that the center is “tired, broken and dilapidated” and that “funding is complete and in place” for renovations to the building.
This story has been updated with new information
