Attorneys for the Trump administration have argued in a court filing that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could be demolished and replaced with an outdoor amphitheater if a dispute over renovations and the addition of President Trump's name is not resolved. The administration's filing on Monday suggests that without adequate recognition of President Trump, the center may lose donor money and face demolition due to its "decrepit, dilapidated, crumbling building."
This argument stems from a continuing legal battle over whether President Trump's name can be added to the center, which was established to honor President John F. Kennedy. The administration contends that if the board of trustees is blocked from recognizing President Trump, it will impede fundraising efforts and halt necessary structural rehabilitation. They further propose that the site could potentially be redeveloped into an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River, though they acknowledge this would "fail to adequately honor President John F Kennedy" but would be easier to construct and maintain.
The legal dispute intensified in May when a federal judge halted an initial attempt to inscribe "Donald J Trump" on the building's facade. This action followed a lawsuit filed by Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees. In response, the Trump-aligned board later voted to seek approval for alternative inscriptions, such as "Renovated and Restored By President Donald J Trump" or "Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund," and to potentially rename the plaza in front of the center.
Beatty's attorneys have again asked the federal court to block these new proposals, asserting they are "clear violations of the Kennedy Center statute," which prohibits the board from turning the center into a memorial for anyone other than President Kennedy. Beatty's legal team has described these attempts as a "transparent attempt to effectuate the renaming in another guise" and a "childish gambit."
A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments on the latest request to block the renaming attempts on Thursday. Previously, a panel of judges rejected the administration's claims that fundraising would be negatively impacted without Trump's name on the building, stating the claims lacked specific evidence. The Kennedy Center's management has seen controversy during Trump's involvement, with some artists canceling performances and attendance reportedly declining.
This is not the first time President Trump's name has been removed from the historic venue. His name was affixed to the building's facade in December after Trump replaced the center's board with his political allies, who then elected him as board chair. However, within six months, the name was chiseled off following a court order in late May by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee. Cooper ruled that the board's decision to include the name was unlawful and ordered its removal from the building, grounds, and website by June 12. Cooper denied the board's request for a delay, noting the minimal resources required to restore the center's original name if an appeal were successful. Trump had publicly expressed on Truth Social his intention to turn the center's management over to Congress after the initial court order.