DOJ in court to defend Kennedy Center Board's new push to add Trump's name to building
Headline from CBS News, on the newest of 3 developments
The Kennedy Center Board, made up of President Trump and his allies, is again fighting to display Mr. Trump's name on the building's facade. CBS News Justice Department reporter Jake Rosen has the latest on Thursday's court hearing.
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Justice Department attorney Brantley T. Mayers, absent the renovations, "the Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down."
Scaffolding and a large protective tarp is covering part of the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on August 13, 2026. US President Donald Trump has sought to burnish his legacy by getting his name and image placed on everything, from limited edition pass…
The Kennedy Center argued in a court filing its plan to inscribe President Donald Trump’s name on the venue is lawful, claiming Trump is the “sole hope for the Center’s financial survival.”
Kennedy Center attorneys defended the board’s decision earlier this month to restore Donald Trump’s name three times to the complex, arguing that it is essential to saving the institution. Earlier this month, the board, chaired by Trump and dominated by his allies, voted for a resolution to return T…
President Trump has hailed his takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as an economic boon for the storied venue, claiming the historic theater “would be in financial ruin” without Trump, and that not putting his name on the building would “ cause donors to flee .
Justice Department lawyers defended plans for the $250 million renovation project and described how an inscription of Trump's name on its facade would be appropriate.
The Trump administration is, for the first time, threatening the demolition of the Kennedy Center if the arts institution isn’t allowed to close for two years for renovations.
The Trump administration argued in a Monday court filing that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must undergo proposed renovations and a cash infusion to survive. Why it matters: It's the latest in the legal battle over the venue's future, which the administration has proposed to ove…
The Trump administration, in its ongoing effort to shatter previous world records for spitefulness, is threatening to demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts if it is not allowed to put Donald Trump’s name on it.
By Devan Cole, Sunlen Serfaty, CNN (CNN) — The Kennedy Center may need to be demolished and replaced with an open-air performance space if its current building cannot undergo extensive renovations, lawyers for the venue said in court papers on Monday.
A Department of Justice lawyer warned a Washington, D.C., federal court that if the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts does not close for President Donald Trump’s planned two-year renovation, the facility could be demolished.
In the filing, a top official in DOJ's Civil Division argues the "decrepit" Kennedy Center faces an imminent "death spiral" without Trump's intervention.
WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump’s administration argued in a court filing that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could eventually face demolition if major repairs are not undertaken, as it defended a renewed effort to restore Trump’s name to the landmark’s facade.
US president’s lawyers in court filing say Washington arts complex must undergo repairs or risk demolition The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could be demolished if repairs are not carried out, Donald Trump’s administration warned in a court filing on Monday.
The historic facility would likely be replaced with a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River that “will fail to adequately honor President John F. Kennedy, but would be simpler and more economical to build, operate, and maintain.”
The Department of Justice argues that if President Donald Trump's name isn't on the Kennedy Center, donor money for renovations will dry up, leading to its closure
The performing arts center “cannot survive, either structurally or financially” without Trump’s help and proper credit, attorneys for his administration argued in a new court filing.
The Trump administration said it may need to demolish the Kennedy Center if a plan to close the building for two years as part of a controversial renovation project pushed by President Trump and the organization's board is blocked.
This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump is threatening that if he can’t have the Kennedy Center, no one can.
