Kerry Kennedy tells CNN the Kennedy Center closure is 'hostage taking by the president of the United States'
Kerry KennedyPresident of the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center and niece of President John F. Kennedy, as a guest in an interview on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront
Kerry Kennedy discusses the Kennedy Center closure on CNN, Sept. 15, 2026.
Excerpt from 2:45 to 3:21 of the CNN video. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: CNN. Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 3:21 clip; quoted words at about 3:00 to 3:20)
In an interview on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront on September 15, 2026, Kerry Kennedy was asked whether she would rather the Kennedy Center stay closed or reopen with Trump's name on it. She said the court had barred his name, that the center was then described as bankrupt but would have money 'if his name is on it', that 'this is not an issue of bankruptcy', and that 'This is hostage-taking by the president of the United States'.
“The court said you can't put your name on it. Then, all of a sudden, it's bankrupt, but all of a sudden, if his name is on it, it's got $256 million in the bank. So, this is not an issue of bankruptcy. This is hostage-taking by the president of the United States.”
Original video
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Where this statement fits
Should Donald Trump link the Kennedy Center's renovation to recognition for his administration?
On September 15, 2026, a federal judge barred the Kennedy Center board, chaired by Donald Trump, from inscribing "renovated and restored by Donald J. Trump" on its main building or renaming the grounds for him. The board then voted to close the main building, and Trump posted that renovation "cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board's approved name" and "will not take place" if that ruling is negative and not overturned. In Charlotte on September 16 he said the administration "should certainly have recognition. Because frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close. It'll end up being ripped down." The White House says the center will "inevitably continue to decline" without his intervention; Rep. Joyce Beatty's lawyers wrote that Trump said "if he is not recognized on the building, it will close and be ripped down." The dispute is over whether the renovation should depend on recognition for Trump's administration and what his remarks mean.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
CNN's own 3:21 clip of the Erin Burnett OutFront interview (page stamped 8:47 PM EDT, Tue Sept. 15, 2026). The quoted words are our transcription of the clip audio and match CNN's rush transcript apart from punctuation. The clip stops before the measles exchange.
Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Interview
About this source
CNN's rush transcript (may not be in final form) of the full hour. The punctuation of the quotation follows this transcript (hyphenated 'hostage-taking'; a comma after 'bankrupt'), and the words were confirmed against the audio.
Reporting
About this source
ABC News's report of the CNN interview (page dated September 16, 2026, 2:19 PM). It prints the sentence without CNN's hyphen and orders her quotes differently from the broadcast; its paraphrase of Trump's post is ABC's own characterization and is not adopted. Used as a second source for the quote, date and her title.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
On September 15, 2026, a federal judge barred the Kennedy Center board from adding a tribute to Trump on the building or site, the board voted to close the center, and Trump posted on Truth Social that the renovation and reconstruction could not begin until the D.C. Circuit rules on the board's approved name. On CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront at about 7:20 PM ET, Burnett cited that post, said the board says the center faces fiscal collapse within weeks unless Trump's name is added, and asked Kennedy whether she would rather the center stay closed or reopen with his name on it.
After the quotation
Burnett then turned to Kennedy's brother, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and to measles. According to ABC News, fencing was installed around the main building's entrance on September 16 and lawyers for Rep. Joyce Beatty asked a federal judge that day for an emergency hearing on the closure.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Asked whether she would rather the center stay closed or reopen with Trump's name on it, Kennedy says the court barred his name, the center is then called bankrupt but would have money 'if his name is on it', and concludes 'This is hostage-taking by the president of the United States', an express rejection of tying the center's fate to his name. The closest competing label is “Challenged the characterization”, because she also disputes the bankruptcy premise ('this is not an issue of bankruptcy'). That loses because she goes on to condemn the linkage itself rather than only disputing how the situation is described.
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More from this case
Read the full caseSheldon Whitehouse says Trump appointees' conduct is hard to square with the board's fiduciary duty
“Not easy to see how any of this behavior of Trump appointees comports with the board’s fiduciary duty to the Center.”Read statement
Dechicchis criticizes putting recognition ahead of improvements
“In Trump’s mind, if he doesn’t get the recognition he feels he deserves, there’s no point in continuing improvements on the center.”Read statement
Trump tells TIME "I'm not committing to anything" on the Kennedy Center, says his administration "should be recognized"
“I’m not committing to anything. We’re going to see how it plays out in court,” … “But if I build it, and if I agree that for the rest of my life, I’m going to be putting up $100 million to have it open to people … then I think the Trump administration should be recognized.” … “Well, why would I want to stick with something that’s going to lose hundreds of millions of dollars, and I’m not even recognized?” … “It’s not me; it’s the administration.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Kerry Kennedy tells CNN the Kennedy Center closure is 'hostage taking by the president of the United States'". First published: 2026-09-19. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1176-in-an-interview-on-cnn-s-erin-burnett