Judge Orders 30 Days' Notice Before Any Kennedy Center Demolition

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on September 17, 2026 that the Trump administration and the Kennedy Center board must give 30 days' written notice before any major physical change to the building, including demolition. The order came hours after Trump, photographed aboard Air Force One looking at a placard reading "Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED," told reporters the complex could be "ripped down" if his name does not appear on the main building. It was the same week the Trump-aligned board voted to close the building, two days after Cooper ruled the board could not put Trump's name on its front. The order stems from a suit by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio board member.

The episode reflects an escalating fight over control of the federally chartered arts institution since Trump remade its board and moved to rename it after himself, now drawing objections from preservation groups and congressional Democrats.

Cooper ordered the board to file a status report by the following Wednesday and extended the notice requirement to a related suit by eight architecture and preservation groups, which has since asked the court to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the building.