British News Agency

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a post on the social media platform Truth Social this evening that the Kennedy Center will be closed for renovations this summer. Trump had previously criticized the center during his presidency and changed its name to the Trump-Kennedy Center by adding his own name.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said, “I have decided that the fastest way to enhance the success, beauty and grandeur of the Trump-Kennedy Center is to cancel all events for approximately two years.” He added that the board of directors, which he chairs and selected himself, must approve the proposal.

The Kennedy Center was opened in 1971 in memory of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Since Donald Trump changed the board and added his name to the center, many artists and performance groups have canceled their events.

Among them is American composer Philip Glass, who decided to cancel the premiere of the Lincoln Symphony at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Glass said the reason was that the center’s values conflicted with those of the symphony, stating that he would not perform the work under the current management.