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Trump has gotten rid of many of the checks and balances that could stop him from demolishing the Kennedy Center
Trump has gotten rid of many of the checks and balances that could stop him from demolishing the Kennedy Center. Originally published by The Conversation.
By E. Andrew Taylor, Associate Professor and Director of Arts Management, American University · 2026-09-28T09:33:00.904Z
Musicians perform during a rally against the closing of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 18, 2026. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana Who gets to decide the future of the living memorial to former President John F. Kennedy https://www.kennedy center.org/memorial/ , and who holds those decision makers to account? This debate is becoming ever more fraught. A photo taken on Sept. 16, 2026 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/us/politics/trump kennedy center photos.html , showed President Donald J. Trump in Air Force One reviewing a poster with the words “Kennedy Center DEMOLISH …” that many interpreted to mean “demolished.” The image spread quickly. Like the protests that brought throngs of arts lovers to the center a few days later https://abcnews.com/Politics/protesters plan form human chain kennedy center amid/story?id=136558872 , it amplified the drama around the fate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. For more than a half century, the multivenue complex has featured world class symphonies, operas, dance and theater performances, along with education programs. Whether it would be open or closed https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/arts/music/kennedy center closure emergency hearing.html to the public, active or dormant, repaired or dismantled, solvent or bankrupt https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/arts/design/trump kennedy center bankruptcy closure.html and if it can include Trump’s name in its branding https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/15/trump kennedy center judge/a43ae64a b123 11f1 92c2 5c918f4a6127 story.html have been the subjects of widespread dispute and speculation since Trump returned to office. As a professor and scholar of arts management https://www.american.edu/cas/faculty/eataylor.cfm , I can explain why the official answers to who gets to decide and who is supposed to hold those deciders accountable are reasonably clear.
President Trump is seen aboard Air Force One on Sept. 16, 2026, reading a sign that suggested he might have the Kennedy Center demolished. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Oversight hierarchy collapsed Congress created the Kennedy Center and determines its governance https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=2023&req=granuleid%3AUSC 2018 title20 chapter3 subchapter5&num=0 . It’s up to lawmakers, through their power of the purse, to decide on funding for construction, repairs and a portion of its operational budget. The oversight of facilities and programs falls to a board of trustees that’s authorized by Congress to advance the mission and secure the majority of the center’s earned and contributed revenue. And those operations are, in turn, subject to review by the Internal Revenue Service, which determines the center’s nonprofit status, and federal courts, which determine its compliance with the law. So how did that hierarchy of oversight essentially collapse into a shouting match between Trump and Rep. Joyce Beatty https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/16/democrat says trump threw tantrum during kennedy center board meeting after court ruling/ , an Ohio Democrat, and result in two ongoing lawsuits in U.S. District Court? Beatty filed one of the suits https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district courts/district of columbia/dcdce/1:2025cv04480/287972/50/ and a consortium of architects and preservationists https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72528661/dc preservation league v board of trustees of the john f kennedy center/ filed the other. The same judge https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/judge kennedy center case orders trump administration explain closure plans 2026 09 16/ , Christopher R. Cooper, is presiding over both cases. Presidential control The main cause of what I would call a governance failure is that most of those official oversight authorities now serve at the pleasure of the president. In 2025, the Republican controlled Congress approved US$257 million https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/kennedy center faces 257 million renovation what one big beautiful bill really covers 1775497 for “necessary expenses for capital repair, restoration, maintenance backlog, and security structures” at the Kennedy Center. But most GOP legislators have remained silent about its oversight, including multiple attempts to affix Trump’s name to the building – which Judge Cooper keeps insisting https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/09/15/judge blocks kennedy center trump name inscription sign/91775374007/ is something only Congress can allow. Trump has chaired its board of trustees and appointed the vast majority of its members since an unprecedented restructuring to the previously bipartisan board https://theconversation.com/trump has purged the kennedy centers board which in turn made him its chair why does that matter 249934 in February 2025. In his May 2026 ruling https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district courts/district of columbia/dcdce/1:2025cv04480/287972/50/ , Judge Cooper found the board of trustees to be “derelict in discharging the full range of its responsibilities to the Center.” More recently, the DC Preservation League has suggested removal of the trustees and appointment of a receiver https://dcpreservation.org/2026/09/17/plaintiffs call for independent protection of the kennedy center/ if current leadership “is unwilling or unable to exercise its fiduciary duty.”
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen from the air on Aug. 30, 2026. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Agencies aren’t responding With both Congress and the trustees aligned with Trump, there are several federal agencies that could be stepping in to critique the board or its decisions: the Internal Revenue Service, the Justice Department, the Office of Management and Budget and others. But they are all cooperating with the White House in a dramatic consolidation of power by the executive branch that now reaches into traditionally independent federal agencies https://www.npr.org/2026/06/29/nx s1 5816232/supreme court ftc independent agencies humphreys executor . That leaves the federal courts, where Beatty is among the few with standing to sue. She is an ex officio member of the board https://www.wsj.com/opinion/stolen glory at the kennedy center 121a327f , meaning that she serves by virtue of her role in Congress. She also is willing to stand up and challenge the Trump administration’s attempt to direct – and perhaps even demolish – the Kennedy Center. Even as these and other construction related lawsuits are pending, the Trump administration has proven its willingness and ability to build, renovate or destroy federal landmarks without clear authority to do so. Trump had the White House East Wing demolished https://abcnews.com/Politics/new images show entire white house east wing/story?id=126800684 in October 2025 without getting Congress to sign off or sharing those plans in advance. And he has built a new helipad https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump shows off multimillion dollar white house helipad/story?id=135782264 on White House grounds, to name two examples. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has called Trump’s attempt to build a ballroom where the East Wing used to stand without congressional authorization “ likely unlawful https://thehill.com/regulation/court battles/6062155 roberts white house ballroom dissent/ .” And yet, construction continues.
It was hard for arts patrons to miss this large bust of John F. Kennedy looking out over the foyer outside the Kennedy Center’s Opera House. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images Who decides? The buildings on the Kennedy Center campus are only part of what’s at stake. The Kennedy Center was established as a “living memorial” to former President John F. Kennedy. The “memorial” part is largely associated with the physical campus and its many engravings and artworks honoring Kennedy. But the “living” component manifests in its live performances, original productions, educational programming, artistic leadership and what audiences, educators and students experience both within and beyond the campus walls. There were early indicators that both programs and public engagement were faltering under the board’s new leadership. Revenue from performances began a steep decline https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/12/07/trump kennedy center after Trump’s takeover in February 2025, well before he announced his intention to close the center for major repairs https://theconversation.com/trump wants to shutter the kennedy center for 2 years an arts management professor explains what that portends 274906 . It wasn’t just audiences turning away – many artists also canceled their engagements https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/full list acts pulled out trump changed kennedy center name 11451229 or stopped making customary bookings. Prior to that takeover, The Washington Post has reported, the center’s finances had become increasingly strong https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/08/25/kennedy center revenue plunged after trumps name went building/ as it recovered from the disruptions https://www.kennedy center.org/globalassets/our story/mission/kennedy center fy24 budget justification to congress.pdf that all arts venues suffered during the COVID 19 pandemic. So, who gets to decide the future of this living memorial to a revered slain president https://www.aarp.org/events history/why we love john f kennedy ? In the short term, it’s the center’s board, chaired by Trump. And who holds those decision makers to account? Ongoing federal court cases have constrained or delayed some of those choices. But most other official checks and balances are currently neutral or skewed in the president’s favor. Public attention through independent journalism and citizen activism https://abcnews.com/Politics/protesters plan form human chain kennedy center amid/story?id=136558872 can increase friction and shape the political calculus surrounding the Kennedy Center. But any long term solution will depend on the physical condition of its campus, its adherence to its original mission as a living memorial and the reliable, responsible and accountable governance of its leaders.
E. Andrew Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.