WASHINGTON − A federal judge effectively blocked President Donald Trump from taking immediate action to demolish the Kennedy Center, ordering on Sept. 17 that the center provide a 30-day notice to plaintiffs before any demolition or other major changes to the center’s main building can begin.
It means the legality of any attempt to demolish the Kennedy Center ‒ which Trump has argued is necessary without substantial renovations ‒ would likely be subject to the judge’s review during the 30-day period.
U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the 30-day notice as he denied a request from Rep. Joyce Beatty ‒ the plaintiff suing Trump over the center ‒ for an emergency hearing. Beatty, a Democratic congresswoman from Ohio who serves on the board, is seeking the court’s intervention to block the Kennedy Center board’s vote this week to close the center for renovations.
More: Trump says Kennedy Center could be ‘ripped down’ without his overhaul
Workers replace parts of a temporary fence at the Kennedy Center, which was ordered to be closed for repairs by its board, in Washington, D.C., US, September 17, 2026.
Instead, the judge ordered the Trump-aligned Kennedy Center to submit a sworn declaration from a knowledgeable representative of the center who can attest to the emergency repairs that necessitated the closure. Justice Department attorneys argued in a court filing Sept. 17 that the closure is “temporary” to address emergency repairs, not to begin a two-year renovation project Trump has pushed.
More: Kennedy Center’s current closure is only ‘temporary,’ DOJ says
Trump and Kennedy Center officials aligned with the president say the center’s poor condition poses safety concerns for visitors that require significant renovations, which Trump has said he would help pay for.
But Trump wants recognition in return for his financial support. Trump has warned that he won’t pursue renovations to the Kennedy Center unless a separate decision from Cooper this week keeping Trump’s name off the center’s building is overturned on appeal.
Cooper ruled the Kennedy Center’s plan to add an inscription below the center’s sign that says “renovated and restored by Donald J. Trump” cannot move forward. The judge said the inscription violates his previous order in May to remove Trump’s name from the center’s title and signage and violates the 1964 law that created the center to honor President Kennedy after his assassination.
President Donald Trump speaks to the media after attending a board meeting at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 17, 2025.
Without renovations, Trump told reporters on Sept. 16 that the Kennedy Center will “end up being ripped down” because of its dilapidated state. The same day, Trump was pictured through a window on Air Force One reading a poster that says, “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.”
More: Photos capture Trump reading ‘Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED’ poster
Beatty’s attorneys cited both examples in a court filing as evidence that Trump is actively considering the demolition of the Kennedy Center. They asked the judge to clarify that his order issued in May ‒ which blocked a previous attempt to close the Kennedy Center ‒ also prohibits its demolition.
“Closure is both a prelude to and the necessary consequence of demolition,” Beatty’s attorneys wrote. “But out of anabundance of caution, Plaintiff also respectfully requests the Court to make crystal clear that its order prohibits demolishing the structure.”
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Judge orders Trump to give 30-day notice before any demolition of Kennedy Center
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