Kennedy Center renews call for Trump-backed shutdown after part of a ceiling collapses
- A section of ceiling collapsed in the Kennedy Center's grand foyer on Friday evening during stormy weather in Washington, with no injuries reported.
- The Kennedy Center's leadership attributed the structural failure to decades of neglect and deferred maintenance, citing it as evidence supporting the need for a two-year, $250 million renovation and closure.
- The Kennedy Center's Trump-aligned board is engaged in court proceedings to add Trump's name to the building's facade and proceed with the planned renovations, after a federal judge ruled in May that adding Trump's name was illegal.
- A community group opposing the closure expressed skepticism that the board would use the ceiling damage to justify shutting down the entire facility.
A section of ceiling in the Kennedy Center's grand foyer collapsed on Friday evening during stormy weather in Washington, with no injuries reported. Photos showed a large hole in the high ceiling and debris scattered across the red carpet in the hallway connecting the center's three main performance auditoriums.
The Kennedy Center's leadership, which is aligned with President Trump, characterized the collapse as evidence supporting the need for a two-year closure and $250 million renovation project. A spokesperson stated the structural failure stemmed from decades of neglect and deferred maintenance under previous leadership, calling the incident "another example of the urgent need to close for renovation."
The center's board is currently in court proceedings seeking to add Trump's name to the building's facade and proceed with the planned renovations. A federal judge ruled in May that adding Trump's name was illegal and blocked the administration from closing the venue, but the board voted in August to return Trump's name to the facade. Meanwhile, a community group opposing the closure expressed concern that the board would use the ceiling damage to justify shutting down the entire facility.
肯尼迪中心天花板部分坍塌后重申支持特朗普的关闭计划
肯尼迪中心大厅天花板在周五晚间华盛顿暴雨期间部分坍塌，未造成人员伤亡。照片显示高天花板上出现大洞，碎片散落在连接中心三个主要表演厅的走廊红地毯上。
与特朗普关系密切的肯尼迪中心领导层将这次坍塌视为支持为期两年、耗资2.5亿美元翻新项目和关闭场馆的证据。发言人表示，这一结构性故障源于前任领导下数十年的忽视和维护不足，称该事件是"关闭进行翻新的紧迫需要的又一例证"。
中心董事会目前正在法庭诉讼中寻求在建筑外立面上添加特朗普名字并进行计划翻新。联邦法官在5月裁定添加特朗普名字属于非法行为，并阻止政府关闭场馆，但董事会在8月投票决定将特朗普名字恢复到外立面。与此同时，反对关闭场馆的社区组织表示担忧，董事会可能会利用天花板坍塌来为关闭整个设施辩护。