Judge orders 30-day notice before gov't can demolish Kennedy Center

The center suffered a partial ceiling collapse earlier this year and Trump has warned that the entire building could face demolition without his aid.

Published: September 17, 2026 2:45pm

A federal judge on Thursday ordered that the government must give 30 days notice should it decide to demolish the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The decision from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also saw him decline to grant an emergency review of the board's decision to close for renovations, The Hill reported.

Cooper previously rejected proposals to let the board add President Donald Trump's name to the building, even as the board argued that doing so was necessary to secure Trump's personal support to keep the facility afloat.

The center suffered a partial ceiling collapse earlier this year and Trump has warned that the entire building could face demolition without his aid.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has sought to overhaul and renovate the center, including by replacing the entire board, which then voted to add his name to the building.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.

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