Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick made a case for renovating the Kennedy Center by sharing footage of the venue’s ceiling collapsing.
On Monday, Lutnick took to X and posted security footage from inside the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which saw a piece of the ceiling come crashing down in the lobby.
“Here is the video of the ceiling of the Kennedy Center crashing violently onto the main Lobby floor. Failing roofing, collapsing concrete supports and steel that is rotting have created completely unsafe conditions,” Trump’s commerce secretary wrote. “It was caught on security video, missing one of the Center’s security guards by just minutes. If a performance had been underway, patrons could have been killed.”
As Lutnick went on, he noted that “the entire building is in this kind of shape.”
“People cannot be allowed to go into this building any longer,” he added. “It must be closed and reconstructed, and a major fundraising effort must take place to cover the Kennedy Center’s operating expenses. Like many other Centers, it operates at a huge loss. For the Kennedy Center, that has historically been $80-$100 million a year.”
Before concluding his note, Lutnick suggested that President Trump was the “only” person who would be able to “deliver the renovation on time and on budget,” as well as “raise the money to keep the Center out of bankruptcy.”
Trump appeared to c0-sign this sentiment by sharing Lutnick’s post on Truth Social Monday evening.
Lutnick’s post came a day after the Washington Post reported that the center’s leaders said in new board documents that the venue is on the verge of bankruptcy – and that putting Trump’s name on the exterior would help with fundraising efforts. The officials also recommended that the board, who is set to meet in a special meeting on Tuesday, close the main building immediately.
Additionally, the proposal follows last month’s similar plan – which was approved by the Board – to add “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” on the facade. However, this plan is likely to face legal pushback from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who ruled in May that only Congress could rename the center and ordered for Trump’s name to be removed.
This marks the latest in Trump’s Kennedy Center saga, which started back in December when the board announced that the venue would be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, prompting multiple artist boycotts and a lawsuit from Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, who holds an ex officio seat on the board. Amid the drama, the Trump-appointed board has voted multiple times to close the center, but defended it’s solely for renovations.
