"Donors, Audiences, and Artists All Disappeared"… Kennedy Center Projects $23 Million Deficit After ‘Trump’ Name Added
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by Kim Seungwook
Published 27 Aug.2026 08:43(KST)
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC is projected to record a deficit of 23 million dollars (approximately 3.19 billion won) this year after attaching the name of President Donald Trump to the building.
On the 29th of last month (local time), the Kennedy Center sign in Washington DC, USA, was seen covered with a tarpaulin. Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency
On the 25th (local time), Yonhap News cited the Washington Post (WP) in reporting that “ticket sales and donations at the Kennedy Center collapsed after President Trump’s name was added” and “although the center’s leadership has publicly promoted that its finances have recovered.” WP obtained the center’s internal budget proposal and board meeting minutes to reach this conclusion.
The center’s own projection for total revenue in the 2026 fiscal year is 124 million dollars (about 17.17 billion won), just barely over half of its target of 220 million dollars (about 30.47 billion won). Business profits such as ticket sales were 70% below the goal, and donations also fell short by 25%. Even after implementing staff cuts and spending reductions, the deficit could not be avoided.
The audience exodus had begun even before the name change. Shortly after President Trump replaced board members and became chairman himself in February last year, a series of artists cancelled performances, and as a result, annual subscription sales dropped by around 36% in one year. A financial official at the center told WP, “The center suffered an initial blow immediately after the takeover, and although it seemed to find temporary stability, after the name change it fell off a fiscal cliff—literally. Donors, audiences, and artists all disappeared.”
Andrew Taylor, a professor at American University who reviewed the internal documents, also commented on the “steep nosedive,” saying, “The result of President Trump’s acquisition is a catastrophic decline in revenue.”
U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by AP Yonhap News
The name change has escalated into a legal dispute. After the board resolved in December last year to add President Trump’s name to the building’s exterior, Federal District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered in May that it be removed, ruling it was installed illegally. The basis for this was a 1964 law passed by Congress designating the Kennedy Center as a ‘living memorial’ to the assassinated president, barring the attachment of any separate memorials. The Justice Department argued in a written statement to the court in June that the use of the name was “the way to save the Kennedy Center from financial and structural collapse.” However, projected revenue figures indicate the opposite, critics say.
In March, the board decided to shut down the center entirely citing repairs, but Judge Cooper halted the decision in May, stating that “no board member made the decision with adequate information.” On the 13th, the board again resolved to close for two years and to change the exterior name to include President Trump. In response, one board member, Democratic House Representative Joyce Beatty, filed a lawsuit, calling it “an attempt to cover up financial ruin and circumvent the court’s ruling.”
Center president Richard Grenell countered that the staff reductions were a reasonable measure and that 117 million dollars (about 16.21 billion won) in donations was raised. The Kennedy Center spokesperson stated that “lax financial management by previous leadership is the root cause,” noting that 257 million dollars (about 35.60 billion won) in repair funds were secured from Congress. While the White House also defended President Trump’s dedication of resources and leadership for the restoration, it did not respond to questions regarding this year’s revenue plunge.
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