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Trump administration: Kennedy Center may be demolished if repairs not made
Confirmed
Trump announced in February that he would close the building for two years of renovations before a judge blocked the move, saying that an earlier board vote endorsing the move was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained”.
Floca has said the renovations would include a “total replacement of stage lifts and rigging systems” and wide-ranging electrical work and leak prevention that could be completed within two years if the facility was shut down during the renovations. Earlier this year, the Kennedy Center’s executive director, Matt Floca, said in a legal filing that renovations would include a “total replacement of stage lifts and rigging systems”, as well as electrical work and efforts to prevent water leaks. This language is a shift from what Kennedy Center Executive Director Matt Floca has used in recent months to describe what the board has said are necessary renovations. Gary Grumbach is an NBC News legal affairs reporter, based in Washington, D.C. Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News. © 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC news Alerts There are no new alerts at this time The Trump administration is, for the first time, threatening the demolition of the Kennedy Center if the arts institution isn’t allowed to follow its plans for the site, including adding President Donald Trump’s name to the front of the building.
“Without those efforts, the Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down,” the filing said. The lawyers said that replacement – which they noted would “fail to adequately honor” the venue’s namesake, former US President John F Kennedy – would be “simpler and more economical”.
What's confirmed
- Earlier this year, the Kennedy Center’s executive director, Matt Floca, said in a legal filing that renovations would include a “total replacement of stage lifts and rigging systems”, as well as electrical work and…
- This language is a shift from what Kennedy Center Executive Director Matt Floca has used in recent months to describe what the board has said are necessary renovations.
- Floca has said the renovations would include a “total replacement of stage lifts and rigging systems” and wide-ranging electrical work and leak prevention that could be completed within two years if the facility was…
What's still developing
- Trump announced in February that he would close the building for two years of renovations before a judge blocked the move, saying that an earlier board vote endorsing the move was “ill-informed and seemingly…