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A federal judge issued the order after President Donald Trump was photographed examining a poster that appeared to read “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED,” according to court documents cited by ABC News on Sept. 16. The ruling came one day after the Kennedy Center’s board, stacked with Trump appointees, voted to close the facility citing structural safety risks following a partial ceiling collapse earlier in September. Kerry Kennedy, daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy and president of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Center, described the situation as hostage-taking by the president, who she said was withholding congressionally appropriated renovation money unless his name appears on the building.
The closure, which the board initially described as temporary for one week but which could extend, stems from a piece of water-damaged plaster that fell from the Grand Foyer ceiling during a heavy rainstorm on Sept. 4, according to a sworn statement from the center’s executive director filed in U.S. District Court. Trump has publicly warned that the center will end up being ripped down without his involvement and recognition for what he describes as essential restoration work, a New York Times report from June detailed similar threats in earlier phases of the dispute. Kennedy, speaking after the board’s decision, said the American people love the arts center and see the corruption in linking funding to the president’s demand for naming rights.
Congress approved $257 million for the renovation last year, yet Trump has conditioned its release on adding language such as “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” to the facade, according to filings in the ongoing lawsuit brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty. The legal fight traces back to December 2025 when Trump’s name was first added to the building, only to be removed in June 2026 under a separate court order that prompted scaffolding and tarps to obscure the facade for weeks, a timeline outlined in a CNN report published Sept. 16. Beatty’s legal team submitted the photograph of Trump with the demolition poster as evidence, prompting the judge to demand a detailed status report on the closure by Sept. 23.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1971 as a living memorial to the slain president, with three major theaters that have hosted performances for more than five decades, according to the center’s official history. Recent court filings from the Trump administration described the structure as dangerously dilapidated and warned that without renovations it could require demolition, potentially to be replaced by an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River, as detailed in an August filing reported by The Washington Post. Kennedy pleaded with Trump to leave the center alone and focus on other national issues, emphasizing that no financial barrier exists beyond the naming dispute.
Maria Shriver, another Kennedy family member, joined in condemning the board’s actions as a sad state of affairs that harms a cherished cultural institution, according to an Entertainment Weekly article published Sept. 16. The center’s board has maintained that the closure supports a two-year renovation plan to address long-standing maintenance issues, though critics argue the dispute has already damaged fundraising and programming. Judge Christopher Cooper’s latest order explicitly prohibits major physical changes without advance notice, aiming to preserve the status quo while litigation continues.
Protesters gathered outside the venue on Friday to oppose any demolition threats, as captured in footage aired by the BBC on Sept. 19. The saga reflects broader tensions over the center’s governance since Trump allies assumed control of its board, with earlier efforts to inscribe recognition for the president blocked as unlawful. Kennedy reiterated that the center represents a monument to her uncle and should not become entangled in political demands for personal branding.
