Daily Weird News Report
The Kennedy Center could be torn down if it does not undergo major repairs, lawyers for Donald Trump’s administration warned in a federal court filing Monday, according to The Guardian.
The filing said the Washington, DC, performing arts complex requires a $250 million renovation. Without that work, administration lawyers argued, the 100-foot-high building could deteriorate to the point that it becomes unsafe and must be removed. They also mentioned the possibility of deciding later what might replace it, including a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River.
The filing did not announce a demolition plan. Instead, it presented demolition as a potential consequence if the proposed improvements are not carried out. The Guardian reported that this was the first time Trump’s allies had raised knocking down the Kennedy Center as an alternative to closing the complex for roughly two years of renovations.
The warning appeared in a case concerning Trump’s attempt to put his name on the building. Joyce Beatty, a Democratic congresswoman from Ohio and a Kennedy Center board member through her congressional position, is seeking to prevent the name from being restored to the facade.
A federal judge ruled in May that only Congress could change the Kennedy Center’s name, which was established as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The building’s Trump name was removed from its facade in June, and the affected section has since been covered by a large tarpaulin.
The center’s board, which is now largely composed of Trump appointees, later voted 20-3 to add signage reading “The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J Trump.” It also voted to call the grounds the “President Donald J Trump Plaza.”
Administration lawyers told the court that the proposal would not violate the existing injunction because the venue would retain its formal name. Beatty’s lawyer called that argument legally baseless. A federal judge was scheduled to consider Beatty’s request for an injunction at a hearing in Washington on Thursday.
