Washington, DC – March 23, 2026 – A coalition of eight leading cultural heritage and architectural organizations jointly represented by three law firms today filed suit in federal district court in Washington, DC seeking to require the Trump administration to comply with historic preservation laws and secure Congressional authorization before implementing the President’s plans to further alter the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The filing follows statements by President Trump that he may take the building “down to the steel” during a two-year closure beginning July 4, 2026. Plaintiffs cite the lesson learned when the President assured the American public that the East Wing of the White House would remain untouched during construction of his ballroom—and then approved its complete demolition.
The plaintiffs include: the American Institute of Architects; the American Society of Landscape Architects; the Committee of 100 on the Federal City; the DC Preservation League; Docomomo US; the National Trust for Historic Preservation; the Society of Architectural Historians; and The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Collectively, the organizations have more than one million members and supporters.
