A federal judge ordered the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to give 30 days’ notice before any demolition of its main building, hours after President Donald Trump warned the Washington venue “will end up being ripped down” if his renovation efforts are not recognized.
Judge Christopher Cooper issued the order on Thursday after Representative Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and board member, filed notice of the president’s threat and a photo. The image, captured late Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews, shows Trump through the windows of Air Force One holding a placard reading “Kennedy Center DEMOLIS…,” with the rest of the word obscured by the plane’s window frame. Below the text was a picture of a construction vehicle scooping rubble from a torn-down building.
The photo was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Brendan Smialowski as Trump returned from a rally in North Carolina. “It’s an interesting photo,” said Smialowski, who has covered the White House for 20 years. “The Kennedy Centre’s in the news right now, and their future is in the news.”
Trump made his threat Wednesday in response to reporter questions. “I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition because, frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close. It’ll end up being ripped down,” he said, after a judge ruled this week that his name cannot be added to the building’s exterior without authorization by Congress.
The Kennedy Center was closed on Wednesday for seven days, unless extended, to assess safety risks. Executive director Matt Floca cited “acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration,” according to a Department of Justice filing. The DOJ said the temporary closure does not violate Cooper’s preliminary injunction that barred Trump and the board from acting on a board decision to close the center for repairs.
Beatty’s lawyers countered that the closure was “a plain pretext to justify shutting down the Center permanently” and asked for an emergency hearing. Cooper denied that request. He instead required the center to file a detailed status report supported by a sworn declaration on the temporary closure and emergency repairs.
In a court filing, a staff member of the law firm representing Beatty said she was turned away Wednesday and saw a forklift “run into and hit the pillars on the building several times.”
Cooper also ordered the Kennedy Center to file a detailed status report supported by a sworn declaration from a representative on the temporary closure and emergency repairs.