Trump has gotten rid of many of the checks and balances that could stop him from demolishing the Kennedy Center
Trump’s takeover has weakened oversight as two lawsuits challenge his authority and lawmakers question whether he could close or alter the center.
- On Sept. 16, 2026, President Trump was photographed aboard Air Force One reviewing a poster with the words "Kennedy Center DEMOLISH &," prompting speculation he might have the complex demolished.
- Trump assumed control of the Kennedy Center after a February 2025 board restructuring, becoming chair; performance revenue began a steep decline shortly after his takeover.
- In 2025, the Republican-controlled Congress approved US$257 million for repairs at the Kennedy Center; Judge Cooper ruled in May 2026 that the board was "derelict in discharging the full range of its responsibilities."
- Two lawsuits in U.S. District Court challenge the center's governance, filed by Ohio Democrat Rep. Joyce Beatty and a consortium of architects, while Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts called Trump's unauthorized East Wing ballroom project "likely unlawful."
- Beyond the physical "memorial" architecture, the "living" component of the Kennedy Center manifests in performances and education; critics argue the governance hierarchy has collapsed as oversight authorities now serve at the president's pleasure.
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Trump has gotten rid of many of the checks and balances that could stop him from demolishing the Kennedy Center
Musicians perform during a rally against the closing of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 18, 2026. AP Photo/Jose Luis MaganaWho gets to decide the future of the living memorial to former President John F. Kennedy, and who holds those decision-makers to account? This debate is becoming ever more fraught. A photo taken on Sept. 16, 2026, showed President Donald J. Trump in Air Force One reviewing a poster with the words …
In two years, the White House tenant took a hand at the Kennedy Center, Washington's high cultural site, undertook a purge of its collections, replaced certain works of art with bas-reliefs to its glory, and demanded that its name be displayed on the building. Until the institution was closed, many of which feared that it would become final, says The New York Times.
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