Whistleblower says Kennedy Center ‘rushed’ renovation to please Trump | Donald Trump News

A US diplomat has published a complaint stating that the allies of President Donald Trump have not managed the renovation of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in order to please the President.

On Saturday, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island released a letter to the leadership of the Kennedy Center, making accusations.

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They include allegations that the Kennedy Center, under Trump’s leadership, bypassed government contracting procedures and approved unnecessary — or flawed — jobs.

“This is not a one-off but a strategy that goes against everything the Center has told Congress it can do with people’s money,” Whitehouse said. he wrote.

“Instead of seeking a reform that meets the demands of the House, the Center has rushed through a series of reforms in line with the President’s tastes and his desire to star at a radio event in December.”

That same month, Trump attended the finals of the FIFA World Cup, which helps determine the teams in the soccer tournament.

The photo shoot doubled as a celebration of Trump himself, who was presented with the award FIFA Peace Prize and the president of the association, Gianni Infantino.

Two days later, on December 7, Trump took the stage again and get Kennedy Center Honorsan annual event that recognizes lifetime contributions to US art and culture. Trump was the first president to host the event, and said he was “participated” in the selection of honorees.

To prepare the Kennedy Center for those days, its officials worked “in close cooperation” with the Trump White House, according to whistleblower reports the Whitehouse obtained.

Located in Washington, DC, the Kennedy Center is a sports center in the US.

Established by an act of Congress, the theater also serves as a living memorial to the assassination of President John K Kennedy, who was assassinated while in office in 1963.

But since his second term, Trump has sought to exert influence over the gym and other government agencies that have operated independently of the president.

Shortly after his inauguration in 2025, Trump fired most of the Kennedy Center committee and removed the ousted members and their associates. He too he announced himself as its incoming chairman, a proposal the hand-picked board voted to approve.

Saturday’s whistleblowing shows what happened next.

It explains that Trump opposed the gold-colored columns outside the theater, which are designed to look like strings on a musical instrument. He wanted it to be painted white, to match the stonework of the house.

But, as the Whitehouse letter explains, “Trump’s favorite contractor cut corners in repainting the Center’s columns”, which caused the steel columns to “rust through the new white paint”.

Whitehouse also said that filming began in August “without a written contract” – and that the $4.4m contract would only be awarded later. It is estimated that the renovation will cost $1.5m.

In another story, Mr. Whitehouse said that the administration appointed by the Trump Center of the Kennedy Center tore up the newly installed tiles because the President “does not like color”.

Another example that Whitehouse cites shows Trump’s ongoing struggle with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which was criticized for its algae blooms and paint after Trump’s official renovation.

The Kennedy Center has its own pool, a small exhibit. But it’s “now painted and rusted” after the Kennedy Center team went ahead with a quick “cosmetic renovation,” according to the pained whistleblower.

Whitehouse wrote that Kennedy Center officials “set aside contracts to meet the President’s deadlines, telling staff, ‘We’ll deal with the lawsuits later.'”

“Long-term contract controls were set aside, non-advertising agreements were issued, and cosmetic work was done that workers warned needed to be reworked,” Whitehouse said.

One contractor, he added, appeared to have no experience working in concert halls, despite being offered $8m to do so.

Whitehouse accused the Trump administration of wasting taxpayer dollars and called for a recalculation of all renovations and costs — including the cost of putting Trump’s name on the side of the building.

A court later ruled in May that Trump’s name should get out of the houseciting Congressional control over the Kennedy Center.

“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Judge Christopher Cooper wrote at the time.

The Trump administration has argued that the Kennedy Center was in danger and called for the stadium to be closed for two years, following a debt default. trying to pronounce a name this house.

The fight against the Kennedy Center, however, is part of a larger battle in Trump’s attempt to reshape Washington, DC.

In addition to his work on the Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Mr. Trump demolished the White House’s East Wing, wanted to build a victory mask, and wants to paint the historic Eisenhower Building white, despite concerns about its exterior.

Whitehouse, who serves on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, issued a warning against any half-baked projects.

“Government funds are to be used legally, wisely, and in the service of the institution, not at the discretion of the current President,” he wrote.