Striking images from inside the Kennedy Center reveal the damage left behind after a powerful storm swept through Washington, DC.
The severe weather caused sections of the famed cultural venue’s ceiling to give way, opening up a small hole overhead.
The damage has intensified calls from the White House for long-discussed renovations, with officials pointing to what they described as “decades of neglect.”
A source told Our News Outlet that staff first noticed pieces of the ceiling falling into the Kennedy Center’s grand foyer at about 5pm on Friday.
Photos from the scene showed debris scattered across the carpet after an intense overnight storm battered the nation’s capital.
Beyond the Kennedy Center, fierce winds toppled trees and knocked out electricity for tens of thousands of residents, with many still waiting for power to be restored.
No injuries were reported after the ceiling collapse in the main hall, but Kennedy Center officials seized on the incident to underscore President Donald Trump’s push for modernization.
“Another example of the urgent need to close for renovation and revitalization, as our Chairman President Trump has championed,” Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi told Our News Outlet.
A harrowing storm hit Washington DC Thursday night, causing pieces of the already troubled Kennedy Center to fall to the floor
A small hole was clearly visible in the ceiling and a ton of debris was seen on the floor of the grand foyer
The damage has led to renewed calls for renovations at the Kennedy Center in line with the president’s vision
‘This structural failure stems from decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by the previous leadership, and there’s no justification for further delays in restoring America’s cultural center,’ she added.
Kennedy Center employees received an email Friday announcing the Main Building would be closed for the remainder of Friday night.
‘This closure is necessary to ensure the safety of staff, contractors, and any other personnel who may otherwise access the facility while O&M evaluates and addresses the identified conditions,’ the email said.
While the Main Building is slated to open again on Saturday, the Grand Foyer will remain closed through the weekend.
The cultural center has been a flashpoint of debate during Trump’s second term, with the president attempting to revitalize the structure and even temporarily putting his name on it.
A source noted that the collapse happened in nearly the same place Democrat Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, one of the chief opponents to Trump’s renovations and renaming plans, held a photo shoot.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Congresswoman Beatty for comment.
The Kennedy Center has been at the center of a long-running saga after Trump overhauled the board of trustees to install his own allies.
An intense overnight storm knocked down trees and power lines in the nation’s capital
Kennedy Center employees received an email Friday announcing the Main Building would be closed for the remainder of Friday night
The board has since been fighting in court for the right to plaster the president’s name on the Kennedy Center.
His name was first added in December last year, before it Judge Christopher Cooper deemed it unlawful.
The signage remained on the historic building for 176 days after the ruling until it was finally chiseled off, than six months after it was affixed to the historic performing arts center dedicated to President John F Kennedy.
Since then, the Democrats have fought tooth and nail to prevent any more of Trump’s changes.
In a court filing on Monday, Justice Department attorneys painted a grim picture of the state of the Kennedy Center saying it is, ‘a financially insolvent facility, housed in a decrepit, dilapidated, crumbling building’ that ‘continues to race toward physical and financial ruin.’
Renovations were required they argued, but ‘an order blocking the Board from appropriately recognizing President Trump will cause donors to flee, financial contributions to dry up, and structural rehabilitation to stop.
The cultural center has been the flashpoint of debate during the second Trump term as the President has tried to revitalize it, even temporarily putting his name on it
‘There will simply not be the expertise or funding necessary to rebuild and renovate this decimated structure.’
On Wednesday, officials at the center took down a sculpture known as Blue, the latest change at the Kennedy Center that stirred some pushback.
The changes fall within a broader effort to reshape Washington to Trump’s liking, including demolishing the White House’s East Wing to build a ballroom, a proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery and a renovated golf course.
