Thousands marched outside the Kennedy Center on September 18, 2026, demanding it remain open as President Trump’s plans for the venue sparked fears of demolition, with protesters citing past destruction of the East Wing and a federal judge’s 30-day notice requirement for major changes.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on September 18, 2026, chanting “Hands Off!” and forming a human chain around the venue as fears grew that President Donald Trump might dismantle the institution. The protest followed a week of legal battles over the center’s future, including a federal judge’s order requiring 30 days’ notice before any major physical changes, such as demolition, could proceed.
Protesters Fear Demolition After Past Destructive Actions
Chris Raleigh, co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, described the rally as a response to the administration continuing its push for the president’s vanity projects, including his efforts to install favorites on the Kennedy Center’s governing board beginning in 2025 and later attempts to add his name to the building. A judge ruled that Trump’s name was illegally added and ordered it removed. Raleigh cited the destruction of the East Wing as evidence of Trump’s willingness to tear down the building without notifying the court. We got up one morning and there was a giant hole there,
he said.
Protesters carried signs reading Kennedy Center 4 ever
and You’re no Jack Kennedy,
while some wore costumes, including a man in a golden Trump mask with a crown. Bud Wilkinson, a local member of the arts community, said the center was vital to the arts in Washington and that the issue was about censoring the performances and the programming,
not just putting the president’s name on the Kennedy Center.
Federal Judge Halts Immediate Demolition Plans
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the Kennedy Center board—aligned with the president—from returning Trump’s name to the building, hours before the board voted to close the center indefinitely for repairs. On Thursday, the judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it. The court’s order came after a photo of Trump examining a depiction of the Kennedy Center apparently being demolished sparked widespread attention. In the image captured by AFP photographer Brendan Smialowski on Wednesday, the president was seen through the windows of Air Force One holding a placard with visible text in red declaring: Kennedy Center DEMOLIS…
The rest of the word was obscured by the plane’s window frame.
Trump himself addressed the controversy from the Oval Office, claiming he was willing to save the center, which he said was losing money. However, he did not address a question about demolishing it. We have a lot of people working very hard on it to save it,
he said. I can save it easily, but why should we be doing that and then raise money for the rest of our lives to keep it afloat? Because that’s what you have to do, if we get no recognition. I think the Trump administration should be recognized as having saved the Kennedy Center.
Volunteers and Students Warn of Cultural Loss
Laura Steinberg, a volunteer for the last 10 years, compared the potential closure to that picture from Tiananmen Square, where that young man stood in front of the tank,
vowing to stand in front of the wrecking ball if it’s going to come to that.
She noted that nobody thought he would actually do it to the East Wing, so the shock has mobilized people.
Alina Baciu, whose daughter attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, talked about the opportunities and relationships that students at the school have with the center. They borrowed the beautiful costumes and the beautiful dresses from the Washington National Opera for their performances at Duke Ellington,
she said. They also performed on the center’s Millennium Stage. All of those things have gone away because of this craziness. And it just hurts my heart,
Baciu said.
Friday’s event followed a tumultuous week in federal courts in Washington in which filings and counter-filings flooded the courts as the administration continued its push for the president’s vanity projects. The administration has made substantive steps to begin work on a number of projects, despite the fact they are still being litigated, including Trump’s triumphal arch and the administration’s takeover of East Potomac Golf Links and the US Institute of Peace.