Barbra Streisand has criticised Donald Trump over the ongoing dispute surrounding the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., after the president said the building could be closed or demolished if his administration does not receive what he called sufficient recognition.
Streisand, who received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2008, addressed the controversy in a letter published on her website on Thursday. She recalled being “deeply honoured” by the recognition before turning her attention to the dispute over Trump’s efforts to add his name to the building.
Barbra Streisand speaks out over Kennedy Center
Streisand criticised the attempt to associate Trump’s name with the Kennedy Center and urged him to abandon the campaign to have his name added to the exterior.
“That is why what is happening to the Kennedy Center is so galling and painful to witness. When Donald Trump attempted to put his name alongside the late President Kennedy’s on the building’s entrance, the move was met with widespread opposition from artists and much of the public.”
She continued by describing her reaction to the dispute over the institution’s name.
“You can easily imagine my indignation at seeing this revered institution become the subject of such a bitter struggle over one man’s name and unchecked ego.”
Streisand also reflected on what she believed the Kennedy Center should represent, pointing to its role as a national arts institution rather than simply a building associated with one president.
“It is difficult not to think about what President Kennedy himself would have envisioned for the Center: not a monument frozen in time, but a living place where artists could challenge, inspire, provoke, and bring Americans together through the transformative power of the arts.”
Trump and the Kennedy Center naming dispute
The dispute intensified after a federal judge blocked efforts to add Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center without congressional approval.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on September 15 that the center’s board could not proceed with another attempt to rename the institution after Trump. Earlier court action had also required the removal of Trump’s name from the building’s exterior.
Trump subsequently said the Kennedy Center could close or potentially be “ripped down” if his administration did not receive recognition for its efforts involving the institution.
The Kennedy Center has since been temporarily closed, with officials citing safety concerns and structural deterioration. The board has also backed an extended closure for renovations.
On 17 September 2026, Judge Cooper ordered Kennedy Center officials to provide at least 30 days’ notice before making major physical changes to the building, including any demolition. He also requested a detailed report concerning the temporary closure and emergency repairs.
Streisand invokes John F. Kennedy’s legacy
Streisand concluded her letter by returning to the original purpose of the institution and the legacy of John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.
“The Kennedy Center was meant to pay tribute to a beloved president, and to advance his philosophy that artistic achievement was proof of a free society. He believed that when the creative impulse cannot flourish freely, a society loses its vitality.”
She then encouraged Americans to participate in the upcoming midterm elections.
“Yet another reason why it is so important that Americans exercise their right to vote in the upcoming midterm elections!”
