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The Trump administration is threatening for the first time to demolish the Kennedy Center if the arts institution cannot proceed with its plans to close the facility, undertake sweeping renovations and add President Donald Trump’s name to the building.
The warning came in a Justice Department court filing Monday as the administration faces legal challenges over its control of the Kennedy Center, plans to renovate the facility and efforts to rename the national performing arts center after Trump.
DOJ attorney Brantley T. Mayers argued that without the administration’s proposed efforts, the Kennedy Center could deteriorate to the point that it would become unsafe and ultimately have to be demolished.
“Without those efforts, the Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down,” Mayers wrote.
The filing suggested that demolition could pave the way for a different structure on the site, including a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River. Such a facility, the administration said, would be “simpler and more economical” to build, operate and maintain, though it would not adequately honor the legacy of President John F. Kennedy.
DOJ escalates Kennedy Center renovation fight
The demolition threat represents a significant escalation in the administration’s months-long effort to reshape the Kennedy Center.
Justice Department attorneys described the current facility as “structurally unsound, fundamentally unsafe, and embarrassing to the Nation’s Capital.” They argued that Trump and his administration are uniquely positioned to restore the institution financially and structurally.
The filing said Trump had secured $258 million in congressional funding for capital restoration and helped attract new donors to establish an endowment, though it did not detail how those funds have been used.
The administration also argued that Trump’s prominence and involvement are essential to the center’s financial future.
The Kennedy Center board, which was reshaped by Trump after he became its self-appointed chairman, has supported adding his name to the building as part of its renovation plans.
Kennedy Center says renovation would not mean demolition
The administration’s latest court filing differs sharply from descriptions of the planned renovations provided by Kennedy Center officials earlier this year.
Executive Director Matt Floca has said the project would involve major repairs, including replacement of stage lifts and rigging systems, extensive electrical work and measures to prevent leaks.
Floca previously told the court that the exterior of the main building would not be materially affected and that the project would not involve tearing the structure down to its steel framework.
A Kennedy Center official also previously rejected the idea that the facility would be gutted.
The administration’s latest filing, however, presented demolition as a potential outcome if the renovation effort is blocked.
Trump name remains at center of legal battle
The dispute over the Kennedy Center’s name has become a central part of the broader legal fight.
Trump-backed board members previously voted to add the president’s name to the building. A federal judge later ruled that move unlawful and ordered Trump’s name removed, finding that the center is intended to serve as a living memorial to Kennedy.
Trump is appealing that decision.
The board voted this month to pursue a revised version of the name, changing it from “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” to “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.”
Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, has challenged both the planned closure and the administration’s attempt to rename the building. She has argued that the decision to shut down the Kennedy Center was rushed and that board members were not given enough information about the proposed renovation scenarios before voting.
A hearing on the planned closure and name change is scheduled in Washington on Thursday.
Legal arguments over Kennedy Center authority
The dispute raises broader questions about the authority of the Trump administration and the Kennedy Center board to alter a federally established cultural institution.
Beatty has argued that the administration cannot unilaterally make fundamental changes to the center. The earlier court ruling also concluded that only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center.
The administration maintains that its renovation plans are necessary to address what it describes as serious structural and financial problems.
The latest DOJ filing goes further, arguing that allowing the current situation to continue could leave the government with an unsafe and deteriorating facility.
Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center has triggered criticism from Democrats, musicians, members of the Kennedy family and conservation groups.
The administration has sought to dramatically change the institution’s leadership, programming and physical appearance since Trump became chairman of its board.
Critics have argued that the changes undermine the center’s purpose as a national cultural institution and living memorial to Kennedy.
The administration, meanwhile, says its efforts are necessary to restore the facility and put the Kennedy Center on a more sustainable financial footing.
The dispute is now moving toward another pivotal court hearing, with the possibility of a prolonged legal battle over the future of one of Washington’s most prominent cultural landmarks.
