Trump-appointed board warns Kennedy Center without his name could face demolition
WASHINGTON, DC: The Trump-appointed board overseeing the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has warned in a new court filing that the Washington landmark could continue to deteriorate and eventually face demolition if its financial and structural problems are not addressed.
The Justice Department, representing the Kennedy Center, argued and opposed an emergency request from Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty to block new plans recognizing President Donald Trump at the venue.
The dispute follows the board's August vote to place the words “Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump” on the building and rename the surrounding grounds the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”
The move reopened a legal fight after a federal judge ruled in May that only Congress could change the Kennedy Center's name.
Court filing raises building's future
In its latest filing, the government said the Kennedy Center was facing serious structural and financial challenges and argued that blocking the board's plans would make it harder to secure support for rehabilitation work.
According to the filing, the board's position is that prominent recognition of Trump's role is connected to its fundraising efforts.
The government warned that without sufficient financial contributions, rehabilitation could stop and the building could continue to decline.
The filing said the venue could eventually become an unsafe structure requiring replacement
It also raised the possibility of a different venue being built in its place, including an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River.
The government said such a replacement would not provide the same memorial to former President John F. Kennedy.
The Kennedy Center was established by Congress as a living memorial to Kennedy after his assassination.
Fight over Trump's name continues
The latest filing is part of an ongoing dispute between the Kennedy Center's Trump-aligned board and Beatty, an ex officio member of its board of trustees.
In May, US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the board had exceeded its authority by unilaterally adding Trump's name to the building.
Cooper ordered the name removed and said Congress, which gave the institution its name, would have to authorize any formal change.
The board later voted to pursue new wording on the facade rather than formally rename the institution. Beatty has argued that the latest plan still violates federal law and the court's earlier ruling.
The Kennedy Center has said it will not attempt to add the new inscription before at least September 8 while the legal arguments continue.
