Trump administration warns Kennedy Center may be demolished if renovations are blocked

In the filing, the lawyers do not say whether such a plan had been discussed by the board at a meeting it held earlier this month.

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Kennedy Center officials have previously acknowledged that even after the two years, patrons of the arts institution may not see much of a difference in the physical look of the building after the renovations.

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The only visible changes of note that patrons will see are landscape pavers, fountains and possible changes to the interior color palette, officials said, describing the approach as one meant to elevate the look and feel of the building, while keeping the main layout unchanged.

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A river pump room — where the center gets its cooling capacity from, with a big pipe dipping into and draining water from the Potomac River — had equipment that was first installed in 1971 and has not been functioning for 30 years.

The room and method for getting water are among the things that need to be completely overhauled, officials said.

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The venue has been among the storied sites in Washington that Trump has sought to renovate since he returned to the White House in 2025.

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It is the latest in series of projects that Trump has taken on since returning to Washington.

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He has been renovating the reflecting pool on the National Mall, he wants to construct a 250-foot victory arch, has demolished the White House East Wing to build a ballroom, and has added his name to institutions such as the Kennedy Center and US Institute of Peace.

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He has been renovating the reflecting pool on the National Mall, he wants to construct a 250-foot victory arch, has demolished the White House East Wing to build a ballroom, and has added his name to institutions such as the Kennedy Center and US Institute of Peace.

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In a Monday court filing, US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers told a federal judge the performing arts venue is in “terrible trouble,” adding that it “cannot survive, either structurally or financially” without the help of the president or his administration.

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In a Tuesday court filing, the Justice Department said the center's "dangerously dilapidated, outdated, and decrepit" conditions, in addition to millions in financial losses, put the living memorial to President John F. Kennedy in a "financial and structural death spiral" that will require it to close for renovations.

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There are no official existing plans to tear down the almost 55-year-old performing arts center.

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The Kennedy Center's board voted earlier this month to close the center and add Mr. Trump's name to its facade, marking its second attempt to make those sweeping changes.

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In his May ruling, Cooper found the board was "derelict in discharging the full range of its responsibilities to the Center" by moving to close the institution, calling the decision to cease operations during renovations "ill-informed and seemingly preordained."

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Cooper said he was not "categorically" barring the center from closing its doors or moving forward with construction, but wanted to ensure the board followed "certain minimum requirements imposed by law."

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During a mid-August meeting that Mr. Trump called into, the Kennedy Center's board approved closure plans yet again.

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Cooper said he was not "categorically" barring the center from closing its doors or moving forward with construction, but wanted to ensure the board followed "certain minimum requirements imposed by law."

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In court filings last week, the Trump administration said it will pause its latest round of planned changes to the building until Sept. 8.

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Last week, Beatty once again asked the court to block the president's name from being added to the building, calling it "déjà vu all over again."

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In response, the Justice Department defended the center's board of trustees, arguing that the resolution is "completely lawful," and accused Beatty of a "hyper-partisan effort to oppose any recognition of President Trump's contributions to the Center."

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In response, the Justice Department defended the center's board of trustees, arguing that the resolution is "completely lawful," and accused Beatty of a "hyper-partisan effort to oppose any recognition of President Trump's contributions to the Center."

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This would be followed with the phrase “endowed by The Trump Kennedy Center Fund,” so long as an endowment established for the renovations reaches $100 million.

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While Monday’s filing doesn’t share evidence of the center’s alleged “death spiral,” Matthew Floca, who has served as the center’s chief operating officer since March 24, told a judge in April that extensive, two-year repair work was needed to the roof, electrical systems and columns due to water damage.

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The center would be closed during the construction, Floca said.

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This continuous drop has put it on track to fall nearly $100 million short of its revenue target, the Post reported.

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The warning came as Donald Trump leaves a trail of destruction in Washington, demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make way for a $600m ballroom and ordering a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool that resulted in algae blooms and a peeling liner.

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The warning came as Donald Trump leaves a trail of destruction in Washington, demolishing the East Wing of the White House to make way for a $600m ballroom and ordering a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool that resulted in algae blooms and a peeling liner.

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The administration argued the latest proposal did not breach the court’s injunction because the building would still formally be called the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

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In May, Judge Christopher Cooper ordered Trump’s name removed, ruling that the venue “must be named for, and is meant to honor, President Kennedy alone”.

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The court filing represented the first time that Trump’s allies have raised the prospect of knocking down the Kennedy Center – a 100ft-high complex with a concert hall, opera house and theatre – as the dire alternative to closing it for two years of improvements.

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The words “Restored and Renovated by” merely acknowledge Trump’s role, lawyers said, comparing the inscription to acknowledgments of major donors at other cultural institutions.

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The dispute has become part of a months-long battle over the president’s attempt to alter the memorial created by Congress in honour of John F Kennedy, the 35th US president, who was assassinated in 1963.

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An appeals court last month rejected the administration’s request to keep the name in place while it challenges Cooper’s ruling.

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Nathaniel Zelinsky, a lawyer for Beatty, described Monday’s filing as legally baseless and said it “reads like it was written personally by Donald Trump”.

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It has hosted stars ranging from Frank Sinatra and Beyoncé to Robert De Niro and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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Hands Off the Arts, a group of more than 2,800 activists opposed to government censorship of the arts, said in a statement: “President Trump today issued the judge and American people a threat: ‘Allow me to hijack JFK’s memorial or I will turn it into a crater.’ As Americans, we have already watched in anger the obliteration of the East Wing to satisfy Trump’s vanity – we won’t let it happen again to the Kennedy Center. This is the people’s memorial to honor JFK, and we refuse to let it be desecrated or demolished.”

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They said the center’s board, which was handpicked by self-appointed chairman Trump, “recognizes that President Trump’s efforts and prestige provide the sole hope for the Center’s financial survival, and structural renewal.”

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He said in a court filing earlier this year that the “exterior of the Center’s main building will not be materially affected” and “the planned construction, renovation, and renewal efforts will not tear down the Center to its structural steel.”

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A center official had previously said the facility would not be gutted.

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It notes that Trump “obtained $258 million in funding from Congress for capital restoration, and has marshalled a new donor base to finance an endowment for the Center,” but does not say what has happened to that money.

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The filing makes a dramatic twist in the monthslong saga to renovate the historic arts institution, which has faced multiple legal challenges and criticism from Democrats, musicians and members of the Kennedy family.

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Beatty has claimed the closure decision was rushed and that board members weren’t presented with enough information about various scenarios before having to vote on it.

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Trump is appealing and the board voted this month to add his name back to the building in a slightly different way- going from the since-stricken “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.”

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The congresswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the DOJ filing.

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