In Washington, temples to Trump’s ego lie ruined. And another is on the way

It was deathly quiet outside the John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts on Friday afternoon. Ordinarily, the storied cultural institution would have been preparing for an evening of performances: an opera, perhaps, or musical theatre.

Instead, the building was closed, its white Italian marble exterior surrounded by scaffolding, temporary chain-link fences and security guards patrolling the perimeter.

The Kennedy Centre – so named for the assassinated Democratic president – was abruptly shuttered last week following a vote by its board. The board is chaired by President Donald Trump, who gutted the previous board and installed loyalists with the explicit intent of making him chair.

The centre’s closure did not change much, in practical terms. The only programming on Friday night was a free, unticketed show by “master illusionist” Michael Grandinetti, which proceeded at an expansion site outside the main Kennedy Centre building.

That is because artists and arts lovers have largely given the Kennedy Centre a wide berth since Trump began taking over the venue last year and had his name inscribed on the side of the building. Performers cancelled shows, donors withdrew and ticket sales nosedived.

Last October, The Washington Post calculated 43 per cent of tickets remained unsold for the typical autumn production. Things have only gotten worse since. Staff and programs have been slashed, and the budget is in disarray.

This giant of American cultural life – and a living memorial to one of the country’s slain presidents – now lies empty and sad. It is a cautionary tale; a temple to the tragedy of ego.

The stalemate may continue. Trump secured the money, $US257 million, from Congress for a major two-year renovation, which he and his board argue is sorely needed. But he is refusing to begin the work unless he can put his name back on the building.

It’s not just his name; court documents show Trump is insisting on three things. One is changing the plaque on the front of the building to read: “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts, renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump.”

Second, when his Trump Kennedy Centre Fund reaches an endowment of $US100 million, he proposes to add: “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Centre Fund” to the plaque. Finally, he wants to name the surrounding area “President Donald J. Trump Plaza”. The board approved these proposals last month.

Last week, a federal judge appointed by Barack Obama, Christopher Cooper, put a stop to this. He is the same judge who last year ordered Trump’s name be taken off the building, as Congress had named it in honour of President Kennedy alone. Now, he said, the administration “plays word games” to try to skirt the ruling.

“Alone means alone,” Cooper ruled. “The board cannot honour both President Kennedy and President Trump without running afoul of the terms of the injunction and the board’s own governing statute.”

Trump has defended this narcissism by arguing he is saving the Kennedy Centre from certain ruin.