Justice Department attorneys argued that if name does not appear somewhere on the Kennedy Center, then the money from donors for renovations would shrivel up and the 鈥渄ecrepit, dilapidated鈥� cultural center may be 鈥渞equired to be taken down.鈥�
That came from a court filing late Monday on the over whether the president’s name can be added to the cultural institution and venue meant to honor John F. Kennedy after his assassination. The original attempt to add 鈥淒onald J. Trump鈥� on the building’s facade by the court in May from Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center.
The center’s Trump-aligned board of trustees then voted again this month to get the president’s name back on the cultural institution in a different way: by appending 鈥淩enovated and Restored By President Donald J. Trump鈥� under the title on the building鈥檚 facade. Another phrase, 鈥淓ndowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund鈥� would be a possible addition, as well as renaming the plaza in front of the Kennedy Center to honor the president.
In response, Beatty again to block those stylings, arguing that they were 鈥渃lear violations of the Kennedy Center statute鈥� that from making the center into a memorial to anyone else. A federal judge will hear arguments on that request on Thursday.
Justice Department attorneys replied in Monday’s filing with a grim picture of the state of the Kennedy Center: 鈥渁 financially insolvent facility, housed in a decrepit, dilapidated, crumbling building鈥� that 鈥渃ontinues to race toward physical and financial ruin.鈥�
Renovations were required, they argued, but 鈥渁n order blocking the Board from appropriately recognizing President Trump will cause donors to flee, financial contributions to dry up, and structural rehabilitation to stop. There will simply not be the expertise or funding necessary to rebuild and renovate this decimated structure.鈥�
If allowed to deteriorate further, they continued, the Kennedy Center 鈥渨ill be required to be taken down, with a determination to follow on what to build on the site.鈥�
That could be an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River, they said, adding that it would 鈥渇ail to adequately honor President John F. Kennedy鈥� but would be easier to build and maintain.
This latest attempt to add Trump’s name on and around the center was met with some incredulity from Beatty’s attorneys, who said it 鈥渋s a transparent attempt to effectuate the renaming in another guise.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 d茅j脿 vu all over again,鈥� they wrote. 鈥淧laintiff and the Court should not need to play Defendants鈥� game of whack-a-mole.鈥� They requested a final ruling to stop the renaming attempts 鈥渁nd put an end to this childish gambit.鈥�
It’s not the first time the board of trustees has used the argument that fundraising could be impeded without Trump’s name on the building. A panel of judges in July said that the claim came without the support of 鈥� .鈥�
The Kennedy Center has since Trump got more involved, with several artists canceling performances and
This is one of several attempts by the presidential administration to put Trump’s stamp on the U.S. capital, including a plan for a 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch, and, as Trump called it, a 鈥渕ilitary complex slash 鈥� at the White House.
