The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC could be demolished if essential repairs are not carried out, lawyers for the US president have warned in a recent court filing.
The Trump administration indicated on Monday that the national arts complex must undergo a $250m renovation, or it risks being torn down. "Without those efforts, the Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down, with a determination to follow on what to build on the site, such as a large outdoor amphitheatre overlooking the Potomac River that has been proposed, by some, for many years," the lawyers argued.
This warning marks the first instance that allies of President Donald Trump have publicly raised the prospect of demolishing the 100ft-high complex, which houses a concert hall, opera house, and theatre, as an alternative to a two-year closure for improvements. Such a move would likely provoke legal challenges, public protests, and condemnation from historic preservation organisations.
The threat emerged as the administration urged a federal judge to dismiss a new legal challenge opposing Trump’s efforts to associate his name with the Kennedy Center. The dispute forms part of a months-long contention over the president’s attempts to modify the memorial, which was established by Congress to honour John F Kennedy, the 35th US president, following his assassination in 1963.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment regarding the filing.
A federal judge ruled in May that only Congress possesses the authority to change the Kennedy Center’s official name. However, on 13 August, the centre’s board, now predominantly composed of Trump appointees, voted 20-3 to amend the building’s signage to read: "The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J Trump." The board also resolved to name the surrounding grounds "President Donald J Trump Plaza."
The administration contended that this latest proposal does not violate the court’s previous injunction, asserting that the building would retain its formal designation as the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Lawyers for the president compared the proposed inscription, which merely acknowledges Trump’s role, to the practice of recognising major donors at other cultural institutions.
The court filing was submitted in response to a request by Joyce Beatty, a Democratic congresswoman from Ohio and an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board, who sought an injunction to prevent Trump’s name from being restored to the facade.
Congresswoman Beatty initiated legal action last year after the centre’s white marble facade was altered to display "The Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." In May, Judge Christopher Cooper mandated the removal of Trump’s name, ruling that the venue "must be named for, and is meant to honour, President Kennedy alone." Cooper further stated: "Congress named the Kennedy Center and only Congress can change it."
Trump’s name was subsequently removed from the facade in June, with a large tarpaulin covering the affected section of the building since that time. Last month, an appeals court rejected the administration’s request to maintain the name in place while it challenges Judge Cooper’s ruling.
Nathaniel Zelinsky, a lawyer representing Congresswoman Beatty, described Monday’s filing as legally unfounded, commenting that it "reads like it was written personally by Donald Trump." Judge Cooper is scheduled to hear Congresswoman Beatty’s request for an injunction at a federal court hearing in Washington on Thursday.
Established by Congress as a living memorial, the Kennedy Center opened in 1971. It has hosted a diverse array of artists and performers over the decades. The institution has reportedly faced artistic and commercial challenges since the current administration took office last year, including staff reductions and a stated focus against what has been termed "woke" programming.
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that ticket sales, which had already declined since the administration assumed control, fell further following the December vote by the board of trustees to rename the complex and place the president's name on its marble facade.
Norm Eisen, a former White House "ethics czar" and co-founder of the nonpartisan group Democracy Defenders Action, stated on social media that "the administration is now threatening in federal court to LEVEL the Kennedy Center if Trump does not get his way. His path of destruction knows no bounds & he will answer for it in court."
John Larson, a Democratic congressman from Connecticut, also condemned the administration’s threat. "No one is surprised that someone with an ego as big as Donald Trump’s believes their name should be above John F Kennedy’s on our beloved former president’s living memorial," said Larson. He added: "I wish President Trump were more focused on ending the illegal war he launched in Iran than he is on destroying the Kennedy Center and building his taxpayer-funded ballroom."
The activist group Hands Off the Arts, comprising over 2,800 members, issued a statement: "President Trump today issued the judge and American people a threat: ‘Allow me to hijack JFK’s memorial or I will turn it into a crater.’ As Americans, we have already watched in anger the obliteration of the East Wing to satisfy Trump’s vanity – we won’t let it happen again to the Kennedy Center. This is the people’s memorial to honor JFK, and we refuse to let it be desecrated or demolished."
The administration’s court filing also referenced previous projects in Washington, including the demolition of the East Wing of the White House for a $600m ballroom, and a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool that reportedly resulted in algae blooms and a peeling liner.
