A federal judge is making sure the Trump administration can’t suddenly start tearing apart the Kennedy Center without notifying the court — and the public — in advance.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the Trump administration Thursday to provide at least 30 days’ notice before taking any steps toward demolishing the Kennedy Center, following a whirlwind of legal filings, a controversial closure and a photograph showing President Donald Trump apparently studying a poster that appeared to read “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.”
The photograph was reportedly taken through the window of Air Force One as Trump sat on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews.
And the timing was hard to miss.
Just hours before the court filing, Trump had warned that the Kennedy Center could “end up being ripped down” if he wasn’t given credit for the renovation — including by putting his name on the building.
“For the Trump administration, for me, to get involved and to take that on long term and to carry it or to raise money to carry it, I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition,” Trump told reporters Wednesday.
“Because frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close. It’ll end up being ripped down.”
Now Cooper has effectively put demolition on a legal leash, CNN reports.
The judge’s order came after lawyers for Rep. Joyce Beatty, who is challenging Trump’s efforts to reshape the Kennedy Center, cited Trump’s comments and the photograph in new court filings. Reuters noted that the image itself has not been independently verified.
The administration, meanwhile, says the Kennedy Center is facing serious safety problems.
The center’s executive director, Charles “Matt” Floca, said in a sworn statement that “severe structural deterioration” had created what he described as “untenable risks” to people accessing certain areas of the building.
He said a severe storm on September 4 caused significant damage, including a large section of water-damaged plaster that detached from the Grand Foyer ceiling and fell roughly 60 feet to the floor.
The administration has characterized the current shutdown as a temporary, seven-day emergency closure while safety issues are assessed. It has also sought permission to move forward with a much larger renovation project that could keep the Kennedy Center closed for up to two years.
Beatty’s lawyers aren’t buying it.
They have argued that the sudden closure could become a backdoor route to keeping the Kennedy Center shut for years — despite Cooper’s earlier order restricting the board’s ability to close the institution.
The legal battle began after Trump and his allies took control of the Kennedy Center and attempted to put his name on the building.
Cooper previously ruled that the center’s name could not be changed without congressional approval and ordered Trump’s name removed from the facade. On Tuesday, he rejected another attempt by the Trump-controlled board to put Trump’s name back on the building through an inscription recognizing his role in the planned renovation.
The board then voted to close the center for renovations, setting off another confrontation with the court.
The proposed renovation is estimated at $257 million and could keep the landmark closed for as long as two years, according to Reuters.
The administration argues that the immediate seven-day closure is separate from the longer-term renovation plans and is necessary because of safety concerns.
Beatty’s lawyers, however, have warned that a supposedly temporary shutdown could become permanent.
And now the possibility of demolition has been dragged directly into the court fight.
The photograph of Trump examining the apparent “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED” poster has added another bizarre twist to an already extraordinary dispute.
It’s still unclear exactly what Trump was looking at or what the complete poster said. CNN reported that it sought comment from the White House about the image and its contents.
But Trump’s own comments have already put demolition on the table.
He has repeatedly argued that the Kennedy Center is in poor condition and that his administration should receive public recognition for taking on the cost of restoring it.
The board, which Trump chairs and which includes his appointees, has likewise argued that his continued involvement is important to the center’s future.
That has produced an increasingly strange situation: Trump wants his name associated with the building, a judge has repeatedly blocked that effort, the center has now been shut down, and the president has publicly suggested that the entire building could ultimately be torn down.
For now, Cooper has made clear that any move toward demolition won’t happen quietly.
The administration must provide at least 30 days’ notice before taking steps toward demolishing the Kennedy Center, and Cooper has also ordered officials to provide additional information about the temporary closure by September 23.
A coalition of architectural, preservation and civic organizations has also said it plans to file a separate lawsuit seeking independent protection and management of the Kennedy Center, potentially including a court-appointed receiver if they conclude the current leadership cannot adequately protect the landmark.
