Trump Administration Propose Demolishing Kennedy Center After U.S. Judge Halted Renovations

Following the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center in May, the Trump Administration has proposed the demolishing of the cultural center if Trump is prevented from moving forward with his renovation project. Several Justice Department attorneys representing the Kennedy Center submitted a court filing on Monday arguing that the center’s “dangerously dilapidated, outdated, and decrepit” conditions have put the center in a “financial and structural death spiral,” stating that a large outdoor amphitheater could replace the center if it deteriorates further. They stated that while this replacement “will fail to adequately honor President John F. Kennedy,” it would ultimately be “simpler and more economical to build, operate, and maintain.” 

While there are no official plans to tear down the center, as this statement was meant to address a scenario where Trump’s proposed renovations were hindered, this is the first time that the topic of demolition has been explicitly discussed. Additionally, several Kennedy Center officials stated in the filing that “The crisis is so acute that, without the Trump Administration, its people, and President Trump, the Center cannot survive, either structurally or financially.” This filing exists amidst a continuous legal battle over the Trump Administration’s future plans for the Kennedy Center, with the Kennedy Center’s board voting earlier this month to close the center and add Trump’s name to its facade, along with approving an inscription beneath the building’s name reading “Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump,” despite having been blocked from doing so by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who asserted that the board was overstepping its authority. This fight is far from over, as Rep. Joyce Beatty, who is both an Ohio Democrat and a member of the Kennedy Center’s board, is now asking Judge Cooper to block the latest effort to put Trump’s name on the building, with a hearing on her request having been scheduled for Thursday, August 27.

Photo credit: Mehreen Rizvi