It was born with the world premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass.
asserted
It → bear → Mass.
“Young people will come here and they will see this cultural centre,” Rose Kennedy, the mother of slain US president John F Kennedy, said at that opening night gala.
asserted
Kennedy → come → gala
“They will carry some of these ideas back to their different communities.”
asserted
They → carry → communities
More than half a century later, the potential death knell came just after 4.30pm on Tuesday with a perfunctory announcement on the public address system: “The centre is now closed to the public.
asserted
centre → come → public
Soon barricades had been erected and security guards were blocking access.
asserted
guards → erect → access
The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, once filled with the buzz of audiences and children, had fallen as silent as a mausoleum.
asserted
Center → fill → mausoleum
Now a high stakes legal battle is under way to prevent Donald Trump from taking a wrecking ball to the building that is both national arts complex and living memorial to the 35th president.
asserted
that → prevent → president
The current White House occupant, incensed that courts have prevented his name being added to the Kennedy Center, told reporters this week: “I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition.
asserted
administration → incense → recognition
Because frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close.
asserted
it → do → that
It’ll end up being ripped down.”
asserted
It → end → ?
On social media, Trump declared the venue “destined to doom” without his intervention.
asserted
venue → declare → intervention
The once unthinkable threat became more thinkable when an Agence France-Presse photographer took a picture of Trump aboard Air Force One, holding a placard with ominous red text: “Kennedy Center DEMOLIS...”
asserted
photographer → become → text
The rest of the word was obscured by the plane’s window frame.
asserted
rest → obscure → frame
Below was a big picture showing a yellow heavy construction vehicle scooping rubble from a torn-down building.
asserted
picture → show → building
Trump has no legal right to demolish the facility, which was established by Congress.
asserted
which → have → Congress
Critics say he is acting out of spite because he cannot get his way.
asserted
he → say → way
Kerry Kennedy, the former president’s niece , said: “Like a child who can’t play with a toy, he wants to stomp on the toy.
asserted
he → say → toy
This is the living memorial to a slain president.
asserted
This → live → president
“It would be like adding the Trump name to the Trump-Lincoln Memorial or the Trump-Jefferson Memorial or Trump-Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
asserted
It → add → Soldier
The courts have spoken, he cannot demolish it, he cannot put his name on it and he should be focused instead on his job
asserted
he → speak → job
The Kennedy Center did not respond to requests for comment.
asserted
Center → respond → comment
The 100ft structure opened in 1971 on the banks of the Potomac River.
asserted
structure → open → River
Since then it has presented ballet, children’s theatre, comedy, contemporary dance, hip-hop, jazz, international festivals and educational programmes.
asserted
it → present → ballet
The annual Kennedy Center Honors have hosted past presidents and a who’s who of US arts and culture.
asserted
Honors → host → arts
Trump seized control of the facility in February 2025, claimed its finances were in dire straits and fired board members who did not align with his “vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture”.
asserted
who → seize → Arts
Deborah Rutter, the centre’s president, was ousted and replaced by Ric Grenell, a Trump loyalist and former ambassador with no experience in arts management.
asserted
Rutter → oust → management
An initiative created in 2020 to promote anti-racism and community outreach was shut down and its 10-person staff dismissed.
asserted
staff → create → racism
Citing “drag shows specifically targeting our youth”, any programming perceived as “woke” was purged.
asserted
programming → cite → youth
It was a commercial disaster as audiences, performers and philanthropists deserted the centre in droves.
asserted
audiences → desert → droves
Lawyer Norm Eisen, who has litigated against the administration’s attempts to impinge on institutional independence, said: “He slapped his name on there and destroyed the lifeblood of the Kennedy Center: audience and artists.”
asserted
He → litigate → Center
In January, the Kennedy Center hosted the world premiere of Melania, a documentary about the first lady, with the Trumps in attendance.
asserted
Center → host → attendance
Three days later, the president announced that he would be closing the facility for two years for $257m repairs and renovations.
asserted
he → announce → repairs
The Trump-appointed board backed the move and also voted to rename the venue the “Trump-Kennedy Center”.
asserted
board → appoint → venue
Trump’s name was duly added to the exterior marble facade, before the US district judge Christopher Cooper intervened and ruled that only Congress has the authority to rename the memorial.
asserted
Congress → add → memorial
The name was removed but the result remains hidden by giant scaffolding and tarpaulins.
asserted
result → remove → scaffolding
Asked about Trump’s motivations, Eisen of Democracy Defenders Action added: “You would need an authority in abnormal psychology to get the answer to that question but he appears to have developed an obsession because he’s not used to hearing the word no.”
asserted
he → ask → word
On Tuesday this week, Judge Cooper again ruled that the Trump administration could not put a new Trump sign on the Kennedy Center’s facade or rename its plaza for the president “without Congress’s blessing”.
uncertain
administration → rule → blessing
Hours later, the centre’s board voted to close the facility for two years, citing the need for $257m of repairs and renovations.
asserted
board → vote → repairs
The centre’s executive director, Matt Floca, ordered an immediate seven-day emergency closure, citing “acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration”.
asserted
director → order → deterioration
But Democratic congresswoman Joyce Beatty and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse allege that the closure is a “pretext” to hide a financial “death spiral” caused by artist boycotts and dwindling ticket sales.
asserted
closure → allege → boycotts
…and 30 more, not listed.
The Aporia
