A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Kennedy Center saga is entering an uncertain chapter. The main building is closed and fenced off to the public. A judge has barred President Trump from tearing it down, at least not without 30 days' notice.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The president's been hinting at tearing it down after he was blocked from putting his name on the building, which is not only a renowned arts venue, but also designated by Congress as a memorial to the slain president. The center's Trump-aligned board voted to close it, citing safety concerns after heavy rain caused some plaster to fall from the ceiling. In a few minutes, we'll speak with the co-founder of a legal group challenging the Trump administration in court, but we're going to begin with the latest developments.
MARTÍNEZ: We're joined now by NPR culture correspondent Anastasia Tsioulcas. So let's start with where things stand in the court case.
ANASTASIA TSIOULCAS, BYLINE: There has been so much, A. By my account, there were nine separate court filings and rulings between Wednesday and yesterday afternoon. Many of those included multiple documents. But here's the biggest headline, the federal judge told Trump and the board that they cannot demolish the Kennedy Center or build anything new without providing 30 days' notice. And I should note, A, that the judge didn't say anything about needing congressional approval for any of that.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. So the judge says can't demolish unless you've got 30 days' notice, but how worried are people that that might actually still happen?
TSIOULCAS: Well, Trump has been threatening to demolish it if his name is not on it. And Wednesday night, a news photographer took a picture of Trump on Air Force One, and in the photo, we see the president looking at a large placard that refers to the center being demolished. Now, earlier that day, Trump commented about the Kennedy Center. He said it has lost hundreds of millions of dollars but has provided no evidence of that. And here's Trump talking to reporters on the tarmac.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So 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 because, frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close. It'll end up being ripped down.
MARTÍNEZ: And meanwhile, the center's main building and theaters are shut down. Now, what are you learning about that?
TSIOULCAS: So for a little bit of context, A, we're talking about the big white building that sits right on the edge of the Potomac River. It's been a showpiece for performing arts in D.C. since the venue opened in 1971, and it's been a hugely prestigious place for performers visiting from all over the globe and to showcase American talent.
There has been a lot of confusion around the closing itself. On Wednesday, the center's current executive director and chief operating officer, Matt Floca, said the building's current closure is, quote, "temporary." The same day, a staff member - one of the law firms representing Joyce Beatty, the Democratic congresswoman from Ohio who's suing Trump and the board - submitted a sworn statement to the court. She said she witnessed a forklift ram into the building's pillars several times on Wednesday as construction crews were putting up those barriers.
And then yesterday, eight architecture and culture groups who filed a separate lawsuit against the Kennedy Center Board last May asked the court to appoint a receiver or independent monitor, some neutral other party to protect the building and the institution.
MARTÍNEZ: Any answer from the court on that?
TSIOULCAS: Not yet, A, but I will keep following. And I think there's another point worth making here. The Kennedy Center really prided itself on making free public programming 365 days a year, which is pretty remarkable for a performing arts venue of that size and scope. So whatever happens, there's the real possibility of a huge change to the landscape in Washington, D.C., not just in terms of the architecture, but also in terms of the cultural landscape.
MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas. Thanks a lot.
TSIOULCAS: Thanks for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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