Judge Orders 30-Day Notice Before Any Kennedy Center Demolition After Photo Shows Trump Viewing 'Kennedy Center Demolished' Document

A federal judge on Thursday directed the Trump administration to provide 30 days' notice before carrying out any demolition at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a ruling issued less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump was photographed looking at a document labeled "Kennedy Center Demolished." The photograph has been entered as evidence in related emergency court filings.

Court Orders and Immediate Steps

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also ordered the Justice Department to submit a detailed report by next Wednesday about the center's so-called "temporary closure" and the emergency repairs described in filings by the Kennedy Center's executive director, Matt Floca. In court papers, the Justice Department said the closure is expected to last one week "unless extended" to address identified safety hazards.

Safety Concerns Cited by Management

In declarations filed with the court before Cooper's order, Floca warned of "acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration," which he said necessitated a temporary closure of most public spaces in the main building. An email from Floca to staff, also submitted to the court, stated that any extension of the closure would be evaluated on a week-to-week basis and stressed that management's decision was distinct from a separate board vote to close for renovations.

"To be clear, this is not a decision to effectuate the Board's separate vote to close the building for renovation," Floca wrote. "It is a distinct decision by management to address imminent life-safety risks pending the Court's ruling on that vote."

Challenges From Board Members and Observers

Judge Cooper denied an emergency hearing requested by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio board member who sued last year to block changes she attributes to President Trump. Beatty argued in court papers that the unexplained closure raises the risk that defendants might take steps "to make public access practically impossible for the foreseeable future," including by damaging or demolishing public access points to the building to evade the court's orders by fait accompli.

Beatty's filing referenced an eyewitness account alleging a forklift collided with the building's pillars several times. Fencing was erected around the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, heightening concerns among staff and critics.

Institutional Response and Political Context

Roma Davari, the Kennedy Center's vice president of public relations, told broadcaster Real America's Voice that "nothing is being demolished" and urged the public to dismiss media speculation claiming otherwise. Meanwhile, the dispute over the center has continued to unfold in court: on Tuesday, Cooper ruled that the center cannot add President Trump's name to the building without Congress's approval, rejecting a second board attempt to do so.

Soon after that ruling, the board — which includes allies of President Trump — voted to close the center for renovations, according to a source. Congress appropriated more than $250 million last year for the Kennedy Center's restoration, and Judge Cooper, who is overseeing the litigation, must still determine whether the board's vote was lawful.

President Trump's Remarks

On Wednesday night, Mr. Trump said that if his administration were to raise funds for the Kennedy Center's restoration, it should receive recognition; he warned that without such recognition the center's future would be at risk. "Because frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close. It'll end up being ripped down," he said. That night on Air Force One, he was photographed looking at a document bearing the words "Kennedy Center Demolished."

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1971 and serves as the nation's cultural center and the official "living memorial" to President John F. Kennedy.