Kennedy Center to close for construction for 2 years, Trump says

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will adjacent for astir 2 years for "Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding," President Trump announced connected Sunday.

Complete closure of the performing arts halfway successful Washington, D.C., volition commencement connected July 4, Mr. Trump said successful a societal media post. The determination to afloat adjacent the halfway implicit a partial operation came aft a twelvemonth of reappraisal by experts, the president said.

"The impermanent closure volition nutrient a overmuch faster and higher prime result!," Mr. Trump wrote connected Truth Social. "This important decision, based connected input from galore Highly Respected Experts, volition instrumentality a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, 1 that has been successful atrocious condition, some financially and structurally for galore years, and crook it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, acold amended than it has ever been before."

The announcement comes arsenic respective high-profile performers scheduled to look astatine the U.S. capital's starring performing arts venue announced they were pulling retired pursuing Mr. Trump's takeover.

Mr. Trump connected Saturday said the center's closure is taxable to support by Kennedy Center committee members. The president ousted a group of Kennedy Center committee members past February and installed adjacent allies arsenic replacements, who past voted to sanction him chair.

In December, the center's board voted to rename the organization as the Trump-Kennedy Center, and the president's sanction was added to the exterior of the building. The move drew outrage from Democratic lawmakers, who argued the sanction can't beryllium changed without authorities due to the fact that the halfway was created by Congress.

CBS News has reached retired to the Kennedy Center for comment.  

Joe Walsh contributed to this report.

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