Trump says Kennedy Center could be ‘ripped down’ without his support, demands recognition

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Wednesday, September 16, warned that the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could eventually be “ripped down” without the renovation and financial support he says his administration is prepared to provide.

Trump also defended his demand that his administration should receive the recognition on the building in exchange for supporting the financially troubled institution. Just a day before his remarks, the Kennedy Center board voted to immediately close the main building for renovations, while a federal judge again blocked Trump’s plans to add his name to the center.

Trump says Kennedy Center could be ‘ripped down’ without his support

Trump said the Kennedy Center has been poorly maintained for decades and argued that extensive financial support will be needed to address the condition of the building.

“I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition,” Trump said. “Because, frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close. It'll end up being ripped down. It's in very, very bad, bad shape, very dangerous shape.”

The Kennedy Center’s board, with Trump serving as chairman, just a day before, on September 15, voted to close the institution immediately and begin a roughly two-year renovation. The board has said the closure is necessary because of serious maintenance and safety concerns, while management separately cited “imminent life-safety risks” in announcing a temporary shutdown.

Trump said the center has been “badly maintained” for decades and argued that the federal government would need to provide substantial financial support beyond the renovation itself. “It's been badly maintained for 25 years,” Trump said. “I'd like to be able to save but it's going to take a lot of subsidy into the future, and for us as an administration to want to do that, I think the Trump administration should be recognized.”

Congress has approved $257 million for renovations, while the Justice Department has said additional fundraising of more than $100 million is needed to complete the work. 

The center’s board argues that the closure became necessary after a September 4 storm during which a roughly 4-by-5-foot section of plaster fell from the Grand Foyer ceiling. 

Federal judge blocks Trump name as center remains closed

The dispute over the Kennedy Center’s renovation is closely tied to Trump’s effort to have his name recognized on the building. US District Judge Christopher Cooper on Monday, September 14, ruled that the center could not install an inscription reading “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J Trump” or rename the grounds “President Donald J Trump Plaza” without congressional approval.

“Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing,” Cooper wrote, reiterating his earlier conclusion that Congress reserved the national memorial for honoring President John F Kennedy. 

The Justice Department has appealed Cooper’s decision concerning the honorary inscription. Trump has said the renovation itself will not move forward unless the courts allow the center to recognize him.

Meanwhile, Rep Joyce Beatty, a Democratic Kennedy Center trustee who has challenged Trump’s changes to the institution, filed an emergency motion again on Wednesday arguing that the center’s closure may violate Cooper’s existing order.