Streisand Condemns Trump Over Kennedy Center Turmoil
10 sourcesUpdated Sep 17, 2026
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Barbra Streisand posted a website statement on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, condemning Kennedy Center turmoil. The 2008 honoree said the honor "represented a belief in the importance of art to the life of a democracy" and that events were "so galling and painful to witness." She said after Trump's name was removed by court order, "a humiliated Trump ordered a large tarp placed over the façade, where it remains today," and that "a thoroughly defeated Trump has announced" a board-described major renovation closure, noting no closure talk when his name was still on the building. Trump had announced on Truth Social an immediate close and said, "For me to get involved with restoring the Kennedy Center, I think the Trump admin should have recognition." A Trump-aligned board announced an approximately two-year renovation; officials ordered a temporary safety closure after a partial ceiling collapse. Rep. Joye Beatty called Trump's reaction a "tantrum." Contested: Streisand cites "one man's name and unchecked ego"; Trump seeks admin recognition for restoration. Primary driver of the closure is unresolved in the record.
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Requiring 30 days notice before big changes at the Kennedy Center seems like basic fairness to protect its programs and staff.
Streisand is right to call out the naming battles as galling, since the center should honor artists without turning into a political trophy.
It's wrong to let any president's ego disrupt the Kennedy Center's operations and force a judge to intervene just to buy time.