{"id":2582931,"date":"2026-03-23T13:58:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T17:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/preservationist-groups-sue-trump-over-kennedy-center-plans\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T14:01:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T18:01:17","slug":"preservationist-groups-sue-trump-over-kennedy-center-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/preservationist-groups-sue-trump-over-kennedy-center-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Preservationist groups sue Trump over Kennedy Center plans"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpreservationist-groups-sue-trump-over-kennedy-center-plans%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2582931&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Eight architectural and historic-preservation groups have sued President Donald Trump over plans to close and renovate the Kennedy Center for two years starting July 4, arguing the project bypasses required federal approvals.The lawsuit, filed in U.S. district Court for the District of Columbia, asks for an injunction to halt construction until compliance with federal historic-preservation and environmental laws and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-wenger-solution-to-bidens-southern-border-catastrophe-simple-cost-effective-quick\/\" title=\"Bill Wenger&#039;s solution to Biden&#039;s border crisis is simple, affordable, and fast.\">proper congressional authorization<\/a> is obtained. Plaintiffs say approvals from Congress and several commissions-the Commission of Fine Arts,the national Capital Planning Commission,and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation-were not sought as required. The Kennedy Center\u2019s board approved the renovations, which are estimated to cost more than $200 million and involve a temporary closure, while Trump has described the project as fully financed. The case follows a leadership change at the center, with Richard Grenell stepping down and Matt Floca appointed to lead, and comes as rep. Joyce Beatty filed a separate lawsuit to halt the closure and renovations; the court is weighing the merits of that challenge as well.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump sued over Kennedy Center plans as <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >preservationists warn legacy &#038;lsquo<\/a>;in peril&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2540747\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> is being sued over his plans to close and renovate the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kennedy-center\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"6434\">Kennedy Center<\/a> for a two<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nfl-legend-randall-cunningham-to-jon-gruden-i-dont-believe-youre-a-racist\/\" title=\"NFL Legend Randall Cunningham to Jon Gruden: &#039;I Don&#039;t Believe You&#039;re a Racist&#039;\">-year period starting<\/a> on July 4.<\/p>\n<p>The plaintiffs, comprised of eight architectural and historical preservationist groups, warn that the performing arts center and its nearly 55-year legacy are &ldquo;in peril.&rdquo; Their lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"260\">District of Columbia<\/a> on Monday, asks the judge to indefinitely halt the construction project because the approval process was not in compliance with federal law.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4500078\/watch-live-trump-memphis-safe-task-force-roundtable\/\">WATCH LIVE: Trump participates in Memphis Safe Task Force roundtable<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4500222\/trump-national-guard-assist-tsa-amid-shutdown\/\">Trump may deploy National Guard to assist TSA amid shutdown<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4500146\/trump-ice-officers-no-masks-airports\/\">Trump asks ICE officers not to wear masks while deployed to airports<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;The intent of the Board of Trustees and Mr. Trump is clear: To fundamentally alter this iconic property without complying with bedrock federal historic preservation and environmental laws, and without securing the necessary congressional authorization,&rdquo; the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/wjla.com\/resources\/pdf\/0a5e0c72-663f-499f-84a4-23a42cda566e-DCPReservationLeagueKennedyCenter.pdf#toolbar=0&amp;navpanes=0&amp;scrollbar=0\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/wjla.com\/resources\/pdf\/0a5e0c72-663f-499f-84a4-23a42cda566e-DCPReservationLeagueKennedyCenter.pdf#toolbar=0&amp;navpanes=0&amp;scrollbar=0\">federal complaint<\/a> states. &ldquo;And the harm is imminent, as the Board of Trustees and Mr. Trump admit they have already commenced preliminary construction work.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Last week, the Kennedy Center&rsquo;s board of trustees unanimously approved plans to have the building undergo extensive renovations while remaining temporarily closed for the next two years.<\/p>\n<p>The process bypassed approvals from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"31\">Congress<\/a> and several commissions &mdash; the Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The lawsuit requests that the judge pause the project until the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration<\/a> consults with those bodies.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Given the numerous public statements and actions by the Board of Trustees and Mr. Trump&mdash;which at minimum signal an intent to hastily gut the Kennedy Center down to its structural steel studs&mdash;immediate and effective judicial relief is required to prevent irreparable harm to the Kennedy Center and to the public&rsquo;s right to be meaningfully informed and heard before irrevocable actions are taken,&rdquo; the court filing reads.<\/p>\n<p>In February, Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4443938\/trump-200-million-kennedy-center-building-maintenance-wont-include-ripping-it-down\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4443938\/trump-200-million-kennedy-center-building-maintenance-wont-include-ripping-it-down\/\">said<\/a> he didn&rsquo;t want the Kennedy Center to be fully torn down and that the construction crew would leave the steel structure and some of the marble in place. The project, which the president described as &ldquo;fully financed,&rdquo; is expected to cost more than $200 million.<\/p>\n<p>Among the plaintiffs are the DC Preservation League, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the American Institute of Architects, and the American Society of Landscape Architects.<\/p>\n<p>They argue that Trump&rsquo;s Kennedy Center plans are part of a &ldquo;broader pattern of unauthorized damage to historic buildings&rdquo; in Washington, D.C., citing the White House ballroom project that will replace the now-demolished East Wing. That project is facing similar litigation after it also progressed without the necessary approvals.<\/p>\n<p>The Kennedy Center&rsquo;s board of trustees and Trump are the top two defendants in the Kennedy Center case, followed by the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/smithsonian-institution\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3107\">Smithsonian Institution<\/a> and five others. The Kennedy Center is considered a bureau within the Smithsonian museum network.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4491733\/grenell-done-at-kennedy-center\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4491733\/grenell-done-at-kennedy-center\/\">TRUMP SAYS GRENELL DONE AT KENNEDY CENTER, ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The new lawsuit comes as the Kennedy Center underwent a leadership change. Earlier this month, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/richard-grenell\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4203\">Richard Grenell<\/a> stepped down as head of the performing arts theater to make way for his successor. On March 16, the board voted to install Matt Floca and shut down the center&rsquo;s operations for two years.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), an ex officio member of the board, filed a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4483728\/joyce-beatty-kennedy-center-closure-renovation\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4483728\/joyce-beatty-kennedy-center-closure-renovation\/\">separate lawsuit<\/a> this month to halt the planned closure and renovations. The same court that received Monday&rsquo;s suit is currently weighing the merits of the congresswoman&rsquo;s legal challenge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump sued over Kennedy Center renovations legacy peril<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2582932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26033619785102.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[75258,4585,59508,76387,3634],"class_list":["post-2582931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-kennedy-center-2","tag-lawsuit","tag-preservation-2","tag-preservationists","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26033619785102.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2582931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2582931"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2582931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2582935,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2582931\/revisions\/2582935"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2582932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2582931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2582931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2582931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}