Narativ with Zev Shalev

Narativ with Zev Shalev

The Narativ

Trump Threatens To Demolish Kennedy Center After Losing Again

A 1964 law protects Kennedy’s name. The same federal judge has now blocked Trump twice. His answer: threaten to tear the building down.

Zev Shalev's avatar
Zev Shalev
Sep 18, 2026
∙ Paid
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

A federal judge has stopped him twice. He answers by threatening the building itself.

On Thursday, September 17, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the Kennedy Center's board to give 30 days' written notice before making any change to the renovation now underway — "including but not limited to any 'demolition' of the Center's main building" — a day after Trump told a reporter that without his name on the facade, the Kennedy Center is "going to close, and it'll end up being ripped down. It's in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape."

He was photographed hours earlier on Air Force One, examining a placard reading "Kennedy Center DEMOLIS—" over a photo of heavy machinery clearing rubble.

He meant it.

The Narativ is a full stack of original news reports and intelligent analysis on the day’s biggest stories delivered to your inbox 5 days a week. The Front Page is free to all subscribers while deeper dives are reserved for paid subscribers - now at 20% off annual subscriptions.

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Zev Shalev.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Zev Shalev · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture