Kennedy Center warns of bankruptcy unless Trump’s name is returned to the building

A strong warning about the financial state of the Kennedy Center is contained in a draft resolution distributed to the board of trustees ahead of an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday. The document obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post says the famous performing arts center in Washington faces “certain financial ruin” within weeks — to the point where it may be unable to pay salaries or maintenance contracts, risking bankruptcy.

According to the draft, President Donald Trump has offered to raise the money needed to save the institution — but only with “proper recognition” of his role. Without it, the resolution says, he will neither lead the financial rescue effort nor the planned renovation. “Trump attracts money,” board member and longtime Trump ally Paolo Zampolli told the Times. “So when Trump says donate to this place, everyone will donate.”

The warning marks the latest phase in Trump’s gradual takeover of the arts institution, having appointed his loyalists to the board and being elected chairman himself last year. Since then, artists have withdrawn from events planned at the center and ticket sales have fallen sharply.

Trump’s name on the building has a turbulent history. Trump placed his name on the center’s exterior facade in December; a lawsuit challenged the legality of the move and a judge ruled that the name had to be removed — the letters were taken down in June. In August, the center’s board voted again to restore the name and to close the center for a multi-year renovation, but the board told a federal judge it would not attempt to restore the name before October 8 at the earliest.

According to the Post, trustees are being asked to choose among 10 inscriptions beneath the building’s name — one of them reads: “Renovation Restoration and Endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund” — and to approve the immediate closure of the main building, which management has declared “unsafe for continued occupancy.” On September 4, a piece of ceiling plaster fell about 18 meters into the Grand Foyer; no one was hurt.

CNN says it contacted the Kennedy Center and the White House for comment, receiving no response at the time of publication.

Source: CNN