A coalition of cultural preservation groups and architecture organizations—including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation—are continuing to sue the Trump administration in a related lawsuit.
A federal judge hearing a case over President Donald Trump’s decision to close the Kennedy Center for renovations signaled some skepticism of the administration’s arguments.
According to The Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on Tuesday held back-to-back hearings in two cases challenging the president’s closure of the Kennedy Center, which is expected to begin in July and last for about two years.
During the hearings, Cooper fired questions at attorneys for both the administration and the plaintiffs. He asked the government’s lawyer, Bratley Mayers, where in its filings the administration had provided an analysis of the total cost of the closure, including the loss of sponsorships, bookings, and revenue.
“I didn’t see any numbers,” Cooper said.
Cooper also asked why the government appears opposed to renovating the Kennedy Center in stages, a practice that he characterized as “status quo” until the Trump administration abruptly changed course.
The Associated Press notes that the Tuesday hearing centers on a lawsuit filed last year by Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty. A Democrat, Beatty sued President Trump and members of his administration in her capacity as an ex-officio trustee for the Kennedy Center. The lawsuit was recently altered to reflect the announcement, made in February, that the building would also close for two years.
Beatty’s lawsuit seeks the removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center, which her attorneys say violates an amendment to the institution’s founding statute. The rule states that, “after December 2, 1983, no additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.”
Norm Eisen, an attorney for Beatty, said that adding Trump’s name to the building’s façade “flouts” the purpose of the center’s creation. Mayers, in contrast, argued that the addition of Trump’s name does not constitute a “memorial” but is instead a mere “acknowledgment.” Eisen, in response, called this allegation both “brazen and wrong.”
A coalition of cultural preservation groups and architecture organizations—including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation—are continuing to sue the Trump administration in a related lawsuit.
The Trump administration has defended the long-term closure, saying that the building is simply in a state of incredible disrepair and neglect. On Wednesday, for instance, the center’s newly-appointed executive director said that he was “dumbfounded” by the state of the building when he first started working there in 2024 as vice president of facilities. He said he had observed extensive water damage, antiquated electrical systems, and crumbling concrete, among other problems.
In both lawsuits, lawyers for the plaintiffs have said that, while they do not dispute the need for repairs, the Trump administration should not proceed with renovations until it has created a plan and submitted it to Congress.
Sources
Judge questions Trump’s plan to close the Kennedy Center for 2 years
‘Fool me once…’ Lawyers argue Kennedy Center should not meet same fate as the East Wing
Kennedy Center Works to Make the Case That Repairs Are Urgent
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