Trump administration: Kennedy Center may be demolished if repairs not made

The Trump administration has warned it may demolish the Kennedy Center if renovation plans for a two-year closure are blocked by a federal judge. In a court filing, the Justice Department stated that the center is in a "financial and structural death spiral" due to its dilapidated, outdated and decrepit conditions, as well as substantial financial losses.

The administration argued that without the renovations, the center will deteriorate further and eventually require demolition, potentially making way for a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River. While there are no official plans to tear down the nearly 55-year-old performing arts center, the warning could complicate the ongoing legal dispute involving the center.

Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, a board member who filed a lawsuit over the changes, criticized the Justice Department's filing as an "unconscionable" threat to demolish the center if the President doesn't get his way. Beatty's lawyers vowed to contest the government's stance in court, arguing that only Congress, not the Kennedy Center's board, may change the name of the building.

The Kennedy Center's board recently voted to close the center and add President Trump's name to its facade, marking a second attempt at making sweeping changes. A federal judge had previously barred the closure and ordered the removal of Trump's name from the building, deeming the decision ill-informed and preordained. The board approved closure plans again in a meeting called by Trump, and also voted to rename the site as the President Donald J. Trump Plaza, though no official plans for demolition have been made.