A coalition of cultural and historic preservation groups has filed suit seeking to halt further physical changes to the Kennedy Center as the prominent performing arts venue prepares for a planned two-year closure, contending that the scale of work hinted by President Donald Trump would require the ordinary review process that governs major projects in Washington, D.C.
The lawsuit, filed against Trump, the Kennedy Center and others in the administration, does not dispute the need for “routine maintenance and repairs.” Instead, it argues that the larger changes Trump has suggested could amount to a broader transformation of the structure—changes that, in the plaintiffs’ view, should not be carried out without the same kind of review applied to comparable undertakings in the capital.
In the suit, plaintiffs say the more ambitious work Trump described could lead to damage that cannot be undone. The filing argues that “Demolition, new construction, major reconstruction, major renovation, or major aesthetic transformation of the Kennedy Center would permanently destroy historic fabric, degrade the monumental core’s vistas and public grounds, and compromise the Kennedy Center’s memorial purpose and architectural integrity, causing permanent, irreversible harm that no subsequent remedy can fully undo.”
The lawsuit also points to Trump’s remarks that changes at the Kennedy Center could be so dramatic that the steel supporting the structure could be “fully exposed.” It frames that prospect as a reason that the project should follow the typical procedures for major alterations, rather than proceeding on a track the plaintiffs characterize as more permissive.
After the suit was filed, White House spokesperson Liz Huston said Trump is committed to improving the Trump-Kennedy Center. “Trump is ‘committed to making the Trump-Kennedy Center the finest performing arts facility in the world,’” she said, adding, “We look forward to ultimate victory on the issue.”
A representative for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The plaintiffs’ filing describes a wider pattern of disputes over changes to the historic core of Washington. It notes that some of the lawyers involved in the Kennedy Center case have pursued separate legal action related to Trump’s decision last year to knock down the East Wing of the White House to make way for a ballroom, a case that a judge rejected last month as unlikely to succeed on the merits.
As Trump returned to office, the Kennedy Center’s governance and branding shifted quickly, according to the lawsuit summary in the suit coverage. About a month into his second term, Trump ousted the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a hand-picked board of trustees that named him chairman. The center later brought in Richard Grenell to serve as president until Matt Floca assumed the role last week.
The arts community reaction was swift and included high-profile departures and withdrawals. Actor Issa Rae, musician Bela Fleck and author Louise Penny were among the artists who withdrew from appearances, while consultants including Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned, according to the report. Earlier, the center’s programming also included events tied to Trump’s circle, including a venue appearance connected to first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania.”
In addition to programming and leadership changes, the board announced that it had renamed the facility the Trump Kennedy Center. Scholars and lawmakers cited in the report said the change must be initiated by Congress, while the center also physically added the president’s name to the building’s facade, raising fresh concerns about how far the institution has shifted as it moves toward its planned shutdown.