{
  "id": 7922504,
  "title": "Trump says Kennedy Center could be 'ripped down' if he doesn't get 'recognition'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/trump-says-kennedy-center-could-be-ripped-down-if-he-doesnt-get",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T01:24:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News (US)",
    "slug": "abc-news-us",
    "url": "https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-kennedy-center-ripped-recognition/story?id=136513298"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that the Kennedy Center could either cease operations or be demolished if his administration is not granted acknowledgment on the performing arts center. He made these remarks while on a plane in North Carolina. Trump insisted that his administration deserves recognition, stating that failing to do so would result in the center closing or being torn down. He argued that the Kennedy Center had fallen into disrepair without his involvement and had lost tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars, likening its condition to that of New York's Carnegie Hall. The president's comments followed a federal judge's ruling on Tuesday that blocked the center's board from adding a Trump tribute to the building or site. Trump responded by stating he would not fund the center's renovation using Congress-allocated money unless his name was also prominently displayed. The center's board, comprised of Trump appointees, subsequently voted to shut down the Kennedy Center for renovations, citing safety concerns following a plaster piece falling during a heavy rainstorm earlier in the month. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, commented that Trump \"threw a tantrum because he lost in court\" after the judge's decision, describing the meeting between the president and the board as \"heated.\" Fencing was observed around the main entrance of the Kennedy Center on Wednesday.",
  "summary": "The president's comments come after a federal judge on Tuesday blocked the performing arts center's board from adding a tribute to Trump on the building or site.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}