President Donald Trump is refusing to rule out demolishing the Kennedy Center, leaving the performing arts institution’s future uncertain as a legal battle over its name and renovation plans continues.
Asked in an interview with TIME, published Oct. 1, whether he would promise not to demolish the center without congressional consent, Trump declined.
“I’m not committing to anything. We’re going to see how it plays out in court,” he said.
Trump tied his willingness to support the institution to recognition for his administration, arguing that restoring the building would be only part of the financial commitment required to keep it operating.
“But if I build it, and if I agree that for the rest of my life, I’m going to be putting up $100 million to have it open to people … then I think the Trump administration should be recognized.”
A Renovation Caught in a Naming Fight
The remarks follow the Kennedy Center board’s September vote to close the main building after officials warned about its physical condition and finances.
Trump has said reconstruction and renovation cannot begin until the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rules on the board’s effort to add his name.
According to NPR, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Sept. 15 that the board could not restore Trump’s name to the building or name the grounds “President Donald J. Trump Plaza” without congressional approval.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex officio member of the center’s board.
Trump’s latest comments leave demolition on the table, but they do not announce a decision to proceed.
A judge requires 30 days’ notice before demolition; the center’s leader has told the court it will remain standing, The Washington Post reported.
‘Only I Can Save It’
Trump portrayed the center as a troubled institution requiring both extensive repairs and continuing financial support.
He said he would be “willing to save it,” but described the building as being in “terrible, terrible shape.”
“Only I can save it, and I’ll tell you the biggest problem with the Kennedy Center — I can build it, but it will lose like many of those places,” he said.
The president also criticized the judge who ordered his name removed, calling him a “radical-left Trump hater.”
“Well, why would I want to stick with something that’s going to lose hundreds of millions of dollars, and I’m not even recognized?” Trump asked. “It’s not me; it’s the administration.”
Repair Decisions Face Scrutiny
The condition of the building has generated a separate dispute over how its leadership handled previously identified problems.
As The Hill reported, former Kennedy Center employees alleged in a letter to Congress that leadership stopped planned waterproofing repairs despite having federal funds available.
Their attorney, David Seide, alleged that Executive Director Matt Floca knew about the problems and diverted repair funding toward cosmetic changes requested by Trump, including repainting the main building’s columns.
Floca pushed back, saying officials had known about leaks but only recently learned the extent of the damage.
“The Kennedy Center has known for years that the roof overhang leaked. What we did not know until this summer was how far the damage had spread inside it,” he said.
