Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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The Trump administration is threatening to demolish the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., if its plans to renovate the arts institution are not allowed to proceed. Those plans include adding President Donald Trump's name to the building.

In a court filing, Justice Department lawyers called the center "structurally unsound" and said that without renovations, it will "deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down." They suggest an outdoor amphitheater could be built on the site.

A hearing is set for Thursday on a bid to stop Trump's name from being added to the center.

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