Trump Retreats From Kennedy Center Project After Court Loss (1)

President Donald Trump said on Friday he would turn over control of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to Congress, appearing to retreat from his bid to close and renovate the venue after a federal judge blocked his plans.

Trump, in a social media post, decried the judge’s ruling and said he would be “working with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them so they can make a determination as to what to do with it.” The center was previously governed by a bipartisan board of trustees, which Trump last year purged and filled with allies who installed him as the chair.

“I have instructed the Department of Commerce to make all necessary arrangements with Congress to allow a full and complete transfer of this Institution,” Trump said. The president said lawmakers “would have the responsibility for its Operation, Maintenance, and Management.”

It’s unclear if that arrangement is permitted under current law. According to the Congressional Research Service, the center is considered an offshoot of the Smithsonian Institution that operates independently. It receives funding from Congress to maintain its facilities, and money had already been set aside for the renovations.

Read More: Judge Orders Trump’s Name Be Removed From Kennedy Center

The developments mark a setback to Trump’s efforts to reshape Washington’s historic sites in his image. The efforts, which include demolishing the White House’s East Wing to build a massive ballroom, applying a blue protective coating to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and building a 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, are also subject to legal challenges.

Earlier Friday, Judge Christopher “Casey” Cooper of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the Kennedy Center to remove Trump’s name from the building, saying that the law “makes it crystal clear” that the center is meant to be named only for former President John F. Kennedy. Cooper, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, also ruled the board relied on an “insufficient, one-sided presentation” when it decided to close the center for two years for renovations.

Trump, a former New York businessman, has a history of putting his name on buildings and goods. His takeover of the Kennedy Center and its renaming led to a steep decline in sales at the institution, which put on a range of arts events from musicals to opera to symphony concerts. The center was built to be a living memorial to Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.

Some in Washington speculated that Trump’s planned shutdown, which was expected to commence after the July 4 Independence Day holiday, came as a result of declining ticket sales. Kennedy Center officials denied that speculation and pointed to multiple areas within the structure that needed repair. Matt Floca, who recently took over as the center’s executive director from Richard Grenell, a longtime Trump loyalist, told reporters last month the 2-year closure was needed to complete the maintenance projects.

The judge stated his decision doesn’t prevent the center from continuing with needed repairs or prevent the board from deciding later to close it if needed after a “prudent” and “independent” review.

Trump has appeared consumed with his renovation projects, even as he grapples with the ongoing war in Iran and the ensuing spike in fuel prices. He frequently speaks about them at length in public appearances and in social media posts.

His latest message came after he said he was meeting in the Situation Room of the White House to make a “final determination” on an emerging peace agreement with Tehran. He had not yet announced any decision on the war with Iran before posting about the Kennedy Center ruling.

(Updates with legal background, additional context starting in fourth paragraph)

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