President Trump’s Kennedy Center takeover has brought anything but a smooth expansion, as artists have pulled back and donors and local crowds have followed suit.
Now, the institution faces another snag after a surprise player steps in and a judge’s order that may expose everything Trump tried to hide.
Though the center hoped to keep things quiet during its two-year renovation, it just put someone new in charge.
Trump has touted the closure as part of the renovation, but this latest move adds a wrinkle he never mentioned.
In February 2025, he removed the Kennedy Center’s former board members and became its board chair alongside a newly reconstituted board of trustees. Later that year, his board voted to add his name to the building’s exterior.
A federal judge ruled the renaming unlawful in May 2026, prompting its removal and cover-up with tarps, followed by a two-year closure announcement in September.
In a twisted chain of events, Trump’s board has appointed an artist rep to join the board.
The New York Times reports that Rick Canny, a longtime talent manager who has worked with rock stars including Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee and Creed frontman Scott Stapp, is apparently the center’s best-kept secret.
After months of consulting, Canny will also shape the center’s “overall creative direction.”
“The center must continue to curate programming during infrastructure upgrades and deliver a commanding reopening season that brings audiences back and puts the center on stable financial footing,” he said in a statement to the NYT.
Canny’s appointment comes as the Kennedy Center battles legal challenges over its closure and its finances grow more precarious.
The center’s executive director, Matt Floca, said shutting down completely was the most efficient way to carry out the renovations with its $257 million budget.
He claimed the tarps are a “necessary safety barrier” in a sworn statement to the court.
Not to pour salt on Trump’s wound, but the Kennedy Center has another headache to battle.
On Friday, a federal judge ordered the center to hand over additional financial records in a lawsuit examining Trump’s role in its operations, according to The Independent.
Ohio Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, who sued the Kennedy Center in her capacity as an ex officio board member, is seeking to reverse Trump’s changes to the institution and end his influence over its future.
In December 2025, she filed a lawsuit to remove Trump’s name from the center and later amended her complaint to challenge the closure. Her lawsuit could force the center to reveal records about Trump’s involvement in its operations.
The Justice Department is invoking executive privilege to keep some of those communications private.
Beatty’s lawyers are challenging the use of executive privilege, which generally allows a president to keep certain conversations with advisers private when they involve official duties.
The claim has drawn attention because Trump serves as both president and Kennedy Center chairman, making the privilege argument unusual.
The judge has not yet ruled on the center’s “executive privilege” claim.
During depositions, DOJ lawyers even stopped Floca from answering questions about conversations with Trump, his advisers and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Lutnick also shared security footage of the ceiling collapse on Sept. 4 during heavy rainfall as evidence that the building is unsafe.
But the back-and-forth has drawn public criticism, with some arguing that Trump has received more leniency than others would have.
“REMOVE THE TARPS FROM THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. PROVE TRUMP’S NAME HAS BEEN REMOVED,” said one social media user.
Another said, “The new board should be put in jail. They are clearly not making decisions in the best interest of the people.”
Others pointed out, “If the venue is closed, then there is no need for a Board! Lay them all off, Congress can appoint a committee to oversee the renovation.”
“That’ll show ’em! I’m gonna shut down the place that no one in their right mind wants to go to any more,” added a sarcastic voice. Another said, “He’s gonna demolish it.”
For now, Trump’s Kennedy Center overhaul is facing pressure from both sides. Canny will help determine the center’s next move. Meanwhile, Beatty’s lawsuit could force the center to reveal more about how Trump has run it.
With the judge still weighing the executive privilege claim, the records battle could become the bigger problem.
