Trump Lawyers: Kennedy Center Must Be Demolished If Reforms Blocked

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. faces a potential demolition if the U.S. government is not permitted to undertake extensive renovations, according to the Department of Justice. Lawyers for the department contend that without these comprehensive reforms, the iconic arts venue will continue to deteriorate into an unsafe and ruinous structure that would necessitate its demolition.

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it will further deteriorate, becoming an unsafe and ruinous structure that will have to be demolished.

In a filing submitted to a federal judge, the department's legal team described the Kennedy Center as "structurally deficient, fundamentally unsafe, and a disgrace to the nation's capital." They suggested that if demolition were to occur, a possible alternative would be the construction of a "large outdoor amphitheater." While acknowledging that such a structure might not "do justice" to the center's namesake, former President John F. Kennedy, the lawyers argued it would be "simpler and more economical to build, operate, and maintain."

The lawsuit's submission follows a recent vote by the center's board of directors, largely composed of Trump appointees, to approve renovations and reinstate the venue's name on its facade. The name had been removed from the exterior in June following a court order. President Trump has sought to integrate his name into the identity of the performing arts center since his return to the White House in January 2025.

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structurally deficient, fundamentally unsafe, and a disgrace to the nation's capital

This legal battle is not new. Earlier this year, a federal judge blocked Trump's plan to close the center for two years to carry out the renovations. The judge ruled that the board's approval of such a plan was illegal, as it falls under the purview of Congress. A federal judge in the District of Columbia is scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday. This hearing stems from a lawsuit filed by Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who argues that the board's latest vote again violates federal law and contradicts the earlier judicial ruling.

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would be simpler and more economical to build, operate, and maintain