Court Orders 30-Day Notice for Kennedy Center Changes as Senators Push Back

A federal judge has ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days' notice before making any major physical changes to its building, including demolition, which President Donald Trump has threatened. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said the ruling was intended to "avoid any confusion on that score given more recent events," referring to the venue's abrupt closure to the public a day earlier.

The Kennedy Center shut its doors temporarily on Wednesday, with executive director and chief operating officer Matt Floca citing "acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration" of the aging building. The closure, which came without notice, will last at least seven days to allow an assessment of safety risks in areas of the main building showing severe structural deterioration, Floca said. He noted the decision followed an inspection of the roof terrace canopy and a partial ceiling collapse earlier this month, and that the shutdown could be extended after next week's evaluation.

The temporary closure is separate from a vote Tuesday by the center's board, which is chaired by Trump, to close the facility indefinitely for repairs. That vote came after Cooper blocked the institution from returning Trump's name to the building. Congress has allocated $257 million for repairs, but Trump has said the work would proceed only if the board could add his name to the structure.

The board had voted in August to inscribe Trump's name on the facade so it would read "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump." Under the proposal, a further inscription reading "Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund" would be added if that fund reached $100 million, and the plaza in front of the center would be renamed in Trump's honor. Cooper rejected all those proposals on Tuesday, ruling that nothing could proceed "without Congress's blessing." In May, the judge had already found that the center illegally added Trump's name to the building and ordered it removed; the institution complied in June but left a tarp and scaffolding where the name had been displayed.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill offered sharply different reactions. Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona said demolishing the center would be "the biggest affront to American history, to the legacy of John F. Kennedy," warning of "massive backlash" and arguing that Congress should explore every means to stop it. Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said he loves the Kennedy Center and President Kennedy, adding, "I think it's right to honor him," while noting he was not following the dispute closely.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a former season ticket holder, called the situation a distraction. "Demolishing a memorial, a world-wide known venue for arts," he said, adding that with an election 48 days away, lawmakers should focus on other issues. He questioned the economic performance and condition of the center, suggesting the controversy amounted to a "false crisis." Asked whether the center needs an independent board, Tillis said there was "probably an argument to consider that," noting it had never occurred to him that the Kennedy Center would become politicized.