The bigger story behind Donald Trump's Kennedy Center clash

The saga of the Kennedy Center continues as a United States federal judge has warned that the Trump administration cannot alter or demolish the storied performing arts centre without at least 30 days' notice.

Judge Christopher Copper issued the order after receiving a submission comprising comments made by Donald Trump this week that the historic Washington DC building would have to be "ripped down". He was later photographed looking at what appears to be a rendition of the centre being demolished.

The administration has been in a long-standing clash over the 1960's building , named in tribute to the assassinated president John F Kennedy. In December, a Trump-appointed board of trustees voted to add his name to the building, a move subsequently blocked by the courts.

"I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition. Because frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close. It'll end up being ripped down," Trump told reporters on Thursday.

A threatened shutdown of the centre is now in place, with Matt Floca, the Kennedy Center's Trump-backed executive director, saying the building has been temporarily closed to assess safety risks in areas "exhibiting severe structural deterioration."

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Democrat Joyce Beatty has responded by claiming in court filings the closure "is a recipe for defendants extending their shutdown forever and closing the Kennedy Center for the next two years — the very thing this court said they could not do without its permission."

Trump installed himself as chairman of the centre soon after taking office for the second time last year, ousting 18 board members appointed by former president Joe Biden and inserting his own allies to key positions.

The new board dissolved the centre's Social Impact Division and rolled back diversity-focused programming. Dozens of high-profile artists, productions, and long-running residency groups pulled out in protest. Ticket sales dropped to their lowest levels since the pandemic.

The Washington Post recently reported that the centre would only collect US$124 million ($174 million) of the US$220 million ($309 million) it had projected for the period between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026, leaving a "roughly $23 million deficit" after substantial spending cuts.

The building was damaged in a storm earlier this month, with a "roughly four-by-five foot" section of plaster falling from the ceiling in the Grand Foyer. It is reported to be in dire need of repairs.

In June, workers removed Trump's name from the outside of the building, following Judge Cooper's orders, which affirmed that only Congress has the power to alter its exterior.