Eight Preservation and Architecture Groups Sue Trump Over the Kennedy Center Rebuild

On March 23, 2026, eight architecture and cultural organizations sued President Trump and the Kennedy Center's board in federal district court in Washington over a planned renovation that would close the complex for two years beginning after July 4, 2026. The plaintiffs include the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Committee of 100 on the Federal City, the Cultural Landscape Foundation, the DC Preservation League, Docomomo US and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, together representing more than a million members. They allege the project is proceeding without compliance with federal historic preservation and environmental laws and without the congressional authorization they say is required to alter a national memorial. Trump serves as the Kennedy Center's chairman and selected the board overseeing the project. The renovation plans have not been made public; NPR reported that its requests for information about bidding, financing and consulting experts went unanswered.

The suit asks whether the statutory review process for altering a federally chartered national memorial applies when the president himself chairs the institution making the decision.

The case was filed and pending as of the reporting reviewed.