The Trump administration has issued its strongest warning yet over the fate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, telling a federal judge the historic venue may need to be demolished entirely if its renovation plans are blocked.
In a Monday court filing, Justice Department lawyers described the Kennedy Center as "dangerously dilapidated, outdated, and decrepit," warning that without approval to move forward, the building will "deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down." They added that officials would then have to decide what to build in its place, floating the long-proposed idea of a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River.
The filing is the latest twist in a heated legal battle over the center's future, following the Trump-aligned board's repeated votes to add the president's name to the building. A federal judge previously ordered Trump's name removed after ruling only Congress has the authority to rename the center, but the board pushed forward anyway, approving a plan to inscribe "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump" beneath the center's name and rename the surrounding grounds "President Donald J. Trump Plaza."
Government lawyers argued that blocking recognition for Trump's involvement would cause donors to pull out and funding for repairs to dry up entirely, warning the center's "crisis is so acute" that it cannot survive, structurally or financially, without the administration's support.
The case is ongoing, with the renovation plans currently paused until September 8 while the court battle plays out.