Trump pictured with poster that appears to say ‘Kennedy Center demolished’
· CNNPresident Donald Trump was pictured on Wednesday night reviewing a poster that appears to read, “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED,” after he threatened consequences if his effort to add his name to the performing arts institution fails.
The images were captured through the window of Air Force One on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews as a dramatic legal battle plays out in court over the fate of the institution. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on what Trump was reviewing and what exactly it said.
A judge could weigh in on the status of the Kennedy Center as early as Thursday morning. His court orders still stand that the institution cannot be closed by the board without more planning, and that Trump’s name cannot be added to the memorial building without an act of Congress.
The president had warned earlier Wednesday that the Kennedy Center would “end up being ripped down” without his support, adding, “It’s in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape.”
The institution’s board of trustees had voted again this week to close the doors of the Kennedy Center.
US District Court Judge Casey Cooper has ordered the Trump administration to answer questions over the status of the building by Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, who brought a lawsuit to stop the center’s renaming, went to the judge Wednesday after a member of her legal team was denied entry to the main building and “was informed by several security staff members that the building is currently closed to the public,” her attorneys said in a court filing.
Lawyers for Beatty also included Trump’s latest comments about the center and the photo circulating of him reviewing a poster on Air Force One in a new Thursday court filing.
President Donald Trump is seen aboard Air Force One checking a large Kennedy Center printout after landing at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on September 16, 2026.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
In a second photo, the poster Trump is reviewing appears to say "Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED."
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Is the Kennedy Center closed?
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center told CNN the building was “temporarily” closed due to safety concerns. But Beatty’s lawyers said that when they asked for an explanation from the Justice Department, they did not receive a reply – a violation of the court order, they contend.
When CNN visited on Wednesday, no signage was visible indicating any change of status to the main building – despite the fences and barricades over the doors.
A few security guards were outside as construction crews worked outside the building, where a fence with white curtains had been erected.
Outside the main building, the digital advertising boards still hype upcoming shows, and a landscaper was pruning the hedges. Employees came and went through a parking garage entrance. One of them told CNN that their badge worked for getting into the building – but only on the side doors.
A lone protestor stood outside with a sign that said: “There is still an injunction, remember?” And “shame on the Trump board.”
Trump has argued that his administration “should be recognized” for taking on the financial burden of fixing what he called “a mess.”
“For the Trump administration, for me, to get involved and to take that on long term and to carry it or to raise money to carry it, I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition,” he told reporters.
A sign is placed on a gate outside the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, on September 15.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Legal battle to continue
The relative calm of the scene at the center belies the drama that is expected to continue in the days to come.
The Justice Department has appealed the court’s orders, while Trump has threatened that the center may be torn down unless his name can be affixed to the building.
Meanwhile, an annex of the Kennedy Center, a separate arts space known as The Reach, remains open.
On Wednesday, the song “Jolene” was being played. A Dolly Parton celebration is planned for September 25.
When asked if it will remain open, a worker there replied, dryly: “We have no idea.”
CNN’s Boer Deng contributed to this story.
This story has been updated with additional information.