Kennedy Center Construction Plans Revealed in Trump Legal Battle: What It Shows
A federal judge has ordered the full release of the PowerPoint presentation that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' board relied on when deciding to close the institution's main building for a sweeping renovation. The ruling, by U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper, is the latest setback for the Trump administration in Representative Joyce Beatty's long-running legal fight over control of the Kennedy Center, its proposed two-year closure, and President Donald Trump's efforts to attach his name to the iconic facility.
What the Documents Reveal
Cooper ordered the Delta Construction Group PowerPoint unsealed in full and also ruled that the separate 163-page JLL construction plan should ultimately be made public, although the administration will have one week to propose narrowly tailored redactions for portions it says create legitimate security concerns.
These documents were presented to the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees at an August 13 meeting where the board voted to close the main building for renovations. The unsealing comes amid a broader battle over Trump's attempts to add his name to the Kennedy Center. Democrats have accused Trump of pushing to close the institution and threatening its future, including demolition, as part of his effort to have his name added to the building.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has argued that the Kennedy Center is in "terrible trouble" and needs major construction work immediately: "The crisis is so acute that, without the Trump Administration, its people, and President Trump, the Center cannot survive, either structurally or financially," the administration argued in legal fillings.
Newsweek's Reach Out
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.