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WASHINGTON — <\/span>President Donald Trump<\/a> said Sunday he will move to close Washington\u2019s Kennedy Center performing arts venue for two years starting in July for construction. <\/p>\n Trump\u2019s announcement on social media follows a wave of cancellations since Trump ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations.<\/p>\n Trump announced his plan days after the premiere of \u201cMelania\u201d<\/a> a documentary of the first lady was shown at the storied venue. The proposal, he said, is subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Center, which has been stocked with his hand-picked allies. Trump himself chairs<\/a> the center\u2019s board of trustees.<\/p>\n \u201cThis important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment,\u201d Trump wrote in his post.<\/p>\n Leading performing arts groups have pulled out of appearances, most recently, composer Philip Glass, who announced his decision<\/a> to withdraw his Symphony No. 15 \u201cLincoln\u201d because he said the values of the center today are in \u201cdirect conflict\u201d with the message of the piece.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, the Washington National Opera announced<\/a> that it will move performances away from the Kennedy Center<\/a> in another high-profile departure following Trump\u2019s takeover of the U.S. capital\u2019s leading performing arts venue.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n