Trump faces intense ridicule after new Kennedy Center announcement

On Sunday, February 1, President Donald Trump announced that the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. will be closing for two years for renovations. The Kennedy Center, Trump said, will close on July 4 — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence — and reopen, post-renovations, in 2028.

Trump's announcement is receiving a lot of reactions on X, formerly Twitter.

CNN's Jake Tapper noted, "Oct 1, WaPo: sales for orchestra/theater/dance performances worst since pandemic Jan 2, PBS: Kennedy Center faces artist cancellations, drop in sales after Trump's name added Feb 1, Trump closes K. Center for 2 yrs 'for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding.'"

Journalist Karly Kingsley tweeted, "Trump says he's closing the Kennedy Center for two years for 'construction, revitalization, and complete rebuilding.' That's code for no one will perform there since he took over and he doesn’t want another public reminder that artists and audiences overwhelmingly despise him."

Democratic activist Melanie D'Arrigo wrote, "At least 18 artists have canceled shows at the Kennedy Center during Trump’s 2nd term. Closing it down is less embarrassing for him than artists continuing to cancel because of him."

Russell Drew tweeted, "Of course Donald Trump is now closing down the Kennedy Center. With ticket sales plummeting and top artists staying far away ever since he branded his name on the building, he's getting his revenge. He's been like this his whole life."

A parody account inspired by Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who is relentless in trolling Trump — posted, in all caps, "DONALD IS CLOSING THE KENNEDY CENTER. (AFTER DESTROYING IT.) BUT DON'T BE SAD! I'M OPENING A NEW ARTS CENTER CALLED, 'NOT A TRUMP CENTER.'EVERY ARTIST IS CALLING ME! FIRST SHOW IS TAYLOR, BRUCE & BAD BUNNY. KID ROCK & NICKI ARE PERFORMING THE FOLLOWING NIGHT (AT ARBY'S.)."