Trump's Kennedy Center takeover forces relocation of annual Honors ceremony

Washington DC - The annual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will be taking place at a different venue this year due to President Donald Trump's ongoing takeover.

Photo of the closed-down Kennedy Center in Washington DC on October 1. The center announced Friday that this year's Honors ceremony will take place at another venue amid Trump's takeover.
Photo of the closed-down Kennedy Center in Washington DC on October 1. The center announced Friday that this year's Honors ceremony will take place at another venue amid Trump's takeover.  © SAUL LOEB / AFP

According to Politico, the Kennedy Center announced on Friday that the event planned for December will take place at the Capital One Arena – the same venue that hosted Trump's inauguration parade in 2025.

The relocation comes as Trump has been in an ongoing battle to take over the storied arts center.

Earlier this year, Trump wiped out the center's board and appointed a handful of loyalists to fill it.

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He has since pushed for sweeping changes to the venue while attempting to evade the required congressional approval for them, including a bid to rename it the "Trump-Kennedy Center."

The Trump-appointed board approved plans to close the venue for two years for renovations, but the plan was challenged in federal court by a former member of the board who has sought to block the name change.

Last month, Judge Christopher Cooper ruled the name change could not be made without congressional approval. The center has remained closed ever since, and all events have been cancelled.

Trump recently vowed to take the battle to the Supreme Court and has threatened to shut the venue down for good if he doesn't get his way.

The Kennedy Center has not revealed the list of this year's honorees, but said they would do so at a later date.

Last year's event faced heavy criticism as most of the honorees were MAGA or outspoken Republicans, and the president made much of the event about himself.

Cover photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP

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