The Kennedy Center's board of directors voted Sept. 15 to close the historic arts venue for renovations, a decision that came down hours after a federal judge again blocked an attempt to put President Donald Trump's name on the building. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, says Trump's reaction to the ruling during a board call amounted to a tantrum.

Beatty told MSNBC that Trump grew agitated once he learned of the court's decision. "He went into a tantrum," she said. "It was the most unprofessional thing that I've ever witnessed." She described him as "unhinged" and said he spent close to 10 minutes of the roughly hourlong meeting "screaming and hollering."

Beatty framed the underlying dispute in blunt terms, saying "President Trump is holding the Kennedy Center hostage" and warning "unless he can put his name on this sacred memorial."

Trump and Beatty Traded Personal Insults

According to Beatty's account, the exchange grew personal. She said Trump called her an "obstructionist" and "dumb," and at one point told her directly, "I think you're incompetent." Beatty said she shot back, "I know you're incompetent." When Trump warned he would "hold me responsible if something fell out of the ceiling and killed someone," Beatty said she pointed to broader issues facing the country: "You're already killing people. We're at war."

Beatty also said Trump claimed she had "never done anything" beyond filing lawsuits against him. She said she countered by noting his own financial history, saying "he had more bankruptcies than anybody in the room." Beatty filed the original legal challenge to his renaming push.

Judge Rejects Trump's Name For Second Time

The confrontation came after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center's board cannot install Trump's name on the building or rename the grounds as "President Donald J. Trump Plaza." It was the second time a court had rejected such a plan. Cooper wrote in his ruling that "Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump," adding "or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing."

Hours after the ruling, the board voted to close the Kennedy Center's main building immediately, citing structural safety concerns and finances that administrators said were "within weeks" of bankruptcy. Trump announced the closure on Truth Social. Officials project the building will remain closed for about two years, with a reopening targeted for 2028.

Despite the closure, some programming will continue. The REACH extension and the National Symphony Orchestra will keep operating, and the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize presentations are still scheduled to proceed. The board has also proposed a $100 million fundraising campaign to help cover the cost of the closure and renovations.

Venue Has Faced Months of Turmoil

Trump serves as the board's chair, and the members he appointed include Pam Bondi and Laura Ingraham, the former attorney general and the Fox News host, along with Dana Kraft, wife of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. News outlets covering the board have noted its members have no known background administering a performing arts institution.

Trump responded to the naming ruling by threatening to halt the planned renovations altogether unless the decision is overturned on appeal, saying the reconstruction "will not take place" if it stands. The venue had already been dealing with turmoil in recent months. Multiple artists canceled scheduled performances citing the institution's politicization, ticket sales dropped sharply, and much of the administrative staff had already departed.

Beatty's account of the meeting has not been independently confirmed by the White House. Her description, delivered directly to MSNBC, remains the primary public record of what happened on the call.

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