A severe overnight storm in Washington DC caused part of the ceiling in the Kennedy Center's grand foyer to collapse on Friday, leaving a hole in the ceiling and debris scattered across the floor. No injuries were reported, but the incident has reignited debate over the cultural centre's condition, with the White House and Kennedy Center leadership pointing to it as further evidence that urgent renovation work championed by President Trump is needed.

Staff noticed ceiling debris falling into the foyer at around 5pm on Friday, after a storm that also downed trees and cut power to tens of thousands of residents across the city. The Kennedy Center's public relations vice-president, Roma Daravi, blamed "decades of neglect and deferred maintenance" under previous leadership, while the Main Building was closed for the rest of the night and the Grand Foyer will remain shut through the weekend. The building has been a political flashpoint since Trump overhauled its board of trustees and briefly had his name added to the venue, a move a judge ruled unlawful; the Justice Department has separately described the centre as "financially insolvent" and "decrepit" in ongoing litigation over the renaming dispute.