Organizers have arranged for the meeting to be held onstage at the venue’s opera house.
There are costs associated with staging the meeting in the opera house at one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions, like stage crew overtime, the sources said.
“There is a ton of security, associated stagehand costs. They’ve changed the plan about five times in three days, so lots of extra work,” one source said.
The Kennedy Center is facing financial challenges. In February, then-interim director Ric Grenell tweeted the organization had “zero cash on hand.” About 16% of its operating budget — or about $45 million — comes from Congress. The rest is funded by ticket sales, fundraising and other sources.
Spokespeople for the White House and the Kennedy Center did not reply to requests for comment.
In February, Mr. Trump dissolved the Kennedy Center’s board of directors and named himself chairman. The new board includes political allies like White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, longtime senior Trump aide Dan Scavino, second lady Usha Vance and Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
According to the Kennedy Center, no other president has summarily overhauled the board in the venue’s 54-year history.
Several artists, including actor and producer Issa Rae and the team behind the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,” have canceled upcoming performances in protest of Mr. Trump’s February takeover.
Last week, footage posted on social media showed audience members booing Vice President JD Vance, who was attending a National Symphony Orchestra performance at the Kennedy Center.
