DOJ Says Kennedy Center May Be Demolished If Trump’s Name Not Added to the Building

Lawyers for the Trump administration are saying that if a judge blocks planned renovations at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — renovations which include adding President Trump’s name to the front of the building — then the facility might have to be demolished. The eastern side of the building has been covered by a tarp since Mr. Trump’s name was taken down following a judge’s order earlier this year.Since returning to office, Mr. Trump has spent much of his time decorating and refurbishing facilities, parks, and monuments around the nation’s capital. He is building a ballroom where the East Wing once stood, he is planning to build an arch in Virginia in his own honor, and may try to build a promenade bearing his name near the Lincoln Memorial. His swift attempt to take over the Kennedy Center and put his own name above Kennedy’s instigated a lawsuit brought by an ex officio member of the center’s board, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio. A judge ruled earlier this year that only Congress had the power to rename the center, given the building itself is a memorial to the 35th president. In a court filing late Monday, however, DOJ lawyers are arguing that a court order could preclude the administration from performing what they say are desperately needed repairs. Mr. Trump is planning a complete makeover of the center which he hopes will be concluded before he leaves off in 2029. “The Kennedy Center is in terrible trouble. The crisis is so acute that, without the Trump Administration, its people, and President Trump, the Center cannot survive, either structurally or financially,” the lawyers wrote. Last week, Ms. Beatty filed an emergency motion asking the court to block a recent resolution passed by members of the Kennedy Center’s board, which has been stacked with Trump appointees. The August 13 resolution, Ms. Beatty argues, is an attempt to get around a previous order that Mr. Trump’s name be taken down. The resolution calls for installing a plaque beneath Kennedy’s name to declare that the building had been “Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump.” The resolution would also include an inscription that refers to the “Trump Kennedy Center Fund” and that the area around the Kennedy Center be renamed as “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”In their response filing submitted Monday, DOJ lawyers argue that granting Ms. Beatty’s request would lead to the center’s demotion due to concerns about the facilities. They also say that it is only fair that Mr. Trump’s name be put on the building in honor of his desire to renovate. “Without [Mr. Trump’s] efforts, the Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down, with a determination to follow on what to build on the site, such as a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River,” the lawyers wrote, claiming that such a move would “fail to adequately honor President John F. Kennedy.”“The Board recognizes that President Trump’s efforts and prestige provide the sole hope for the Center’s financial survival,” the lawyers continued. “The Board also underscores, and the undisputed evidence demonstrates, that without the prominent recognition of The Trump Administration, and President Trump’s efforts, the donors will not contribute, and the Center will continue to be in a financial and structural death spiral.”“The Trump Administration, and President Donald J. Trump, should, therefore, be given the respect and dignity of acknowledgement,” they wrote.

DOJ Says Kennedy Center May Be Demolished If Trump’s Name Not Added to the Building

DOJ Says Kennedy Center May Be Demolished If Trump’s Name Not Added to the Building

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