Donald Trump has called the Kennedy Center a “great danger,” claiming the Washington, D.C., performing‑arts venue is in a “state of collapse” and “physically ruined,” and that it is “dangerously dilapidated” and “fundamentally unsafe” for employees and patrons.
Despite the president’s calls to shut the center down, the National Symphony Orchestra has continued to rehearse in the Kennedy Center’s main concert hall for fall performances. A New York Times interview with several musicians who hauled their gear into the building reported no imminent risk of collapse, contradicting sworn statements from administration officials and court documents in the ongoing legal dispute over the building’s future.
In late September, the Trump‑appointed director Matt Floca announced a temporary closure of the venue, citing acute public‑safety risks from ongoing structural deterioration. The Department of Justice said the closure was necessary, but a federal judge ordered the administration to give at least 30 days’ notice before making any physical changes, including demolition, after the Trump‑controlled board voted to shutter the center for repairs.
Musicians have been allowed to enter the building via routes assessed as safe by facilities and management, a spokesperson told The Times. Lawyers for Kennedy Center employees, including David Z. Seide, argue that the orchestra’s ability to rehearse confirms the building is not a threat to public health and safety.
The legal battle has escalated with the Justice Department seeking to block a judge from requiring the government to disclose the president’s role in the planned two‑year closure. Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty’s lawyers accuse the department of stonewalling and warn that, without judicial intervention, the administration could “curate the record and hide the truth.” Trump, who appointed himself chair of the board last year, has not ruled out tearing down the venue and remains open to a multi‑million‑dollar renovation only if courts allow him to rename it.
The Kennedy Center says the closure is temporary, aimed at assessing advanced deterioration, and will decide whether to keep the venue closed every seven days as the situation evolves.
