Key facts
- President Donald Trump on Friday declined to say if he would attempt to demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
- Trump believes the center should append his name to the building in exchange for his work to raise money for renovations.
- The Kennedy Center board voted to close the facility for two years for a renovation project.
- US District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the Trump administration to explain if the closure violates a court order limiting its ability to shut down the facility.
- Cooper also ordered 30 days' notice before any demolition steps.
- Attorneys representing Representative Joyce Beatty called Trump's actions "holding the Kennedy Center hostage."
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday refused to state whether he would attempt to demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, an iconic facility on Washington's Potomac River. Trump reiterated his belief that the center should append his name to the building in exchange for his efforts to raise funds for its renovation. He claimed the facility faced long-term financial strains requiring dramatic action, despite tax filings showing profits in seven of the past nine years.
The Kennedy Center board, chaired by Trump appointees, had voted earlier in the week to close the facility for two years to undertake a $257 million renovation. Subsequently, US District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the Trump administration to explain whether this closure violates a court order that limits its ability to shut down the building. Cooper also mandated that the administration provide 30 days' notice before taking any steps toward demolition.
Attorneys Norm Eisen and Nathaniel Zelinsky, representing U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, stated that "President Trump is holding the Kennedy Center hostage." Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex-officio member of the center's board, is leading litigation against the administration regarding its plans for the facility. Representatives for the center did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The board had previously attempted to rename the facility the "Trump-Kennedy Center" and covered the facade with a tarp after a ruling that only Congress could rename it.