Photos show Trump with apparent Kennedy Center demolition information

Photos of President Donald Trump on board Air Force One appear to show him looking at information on the demolition of the Kennedy Center, which indefinitely shut down Wednesday.

A federal judge then ordered the administration to provide 30 days’ notice before any changes, including demolition.

The photos taken from the exterior of the plane and distributed by Getty Images show Trump through the windows looking at a large printout. An image and the words “Kennedy Center” and “DEMOLIS-“ can be seen. A full view of what Trump was looking at after landing at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is obscured.

No information was immediately released on any demolition plans.

Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

In an order Thursday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said the Trump administration must provide him 30 days’ notice before the implementation of any changes to the scope of the Kennedy Center’s renovation plans previously laid out in two cases, “including but not limited to any ‘demolition’ of the Center’s main building.”

“The parties are reminded of Defendants’ representation to the Court in the companion case D.C. Preservation League that they will “inform Plaintiffs and the Court if there is any change in the Board’s plans that would constitute a reversal of the Center’s position that the building will not be demolished and that no new structure will be constructed,” Cooper wrote.

The judge asked the administration to file a status report by Sept. 23 with more details on the closure and emergency repairs.

Attorneys for Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) asked Cooper to find that demolishing the center would be a violation of his previous court order blocking the closure of the center, in addition to their previous request to have him find this week’s closure to be in violation.

“It would represent a monumental breach of fiduciary duty, a clear violation of the organic statute, and also potentially a violation of criminal law,” attorney Nathaniel Zelinsky wrote. He cited 18 U.S. Code § 1361, which makes it a federal crime to “willfully injure” or “commit any depredation” against any property of the United States.

“It would do enormous damage to the public confidence in the rule of law, and send the exact wrong message to Defendants, to permit this concerning behavior to go unaddressed,” he wrote.

Calling the closure a “shell game,” Beatty’s team accused the administration of closing the building first, and “look for a reason afterward.”

“One does not relocate retail and transit operations or install barricades (which seemingly would have needed to be acquired in advance) for a one-week inspection,” Zelinsky wrote.

“These measures are consistent with an open-ended shutdown.”

Cooper denied Beatty’s request request for an emergency hearing.

Trump: ‘It’ll end up being ripped down’

In remarks Wednesday, Trump called the Kennedy Center “a loser, financially” and said repairs – which Congress allocated $257 million to cover – will only happen if the board can add his name to the building.

“For the Trump administration, for me, to get involved and take that on long term and to carry it or to raise money to carry it, I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition. Because, frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close. It’ll end up being ripped down. It’s in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape,” he said.

Beatty and eight groups ask a judge to remove the Kennedy Center’s Trump-appointed board

In a new lawsuit Thursday, Beatty asked a judge to remove the Kennedy Center’s current board of trustees or appoint a neutral third-party to oversee the center. Eight organizations, including the DC Preservation League, claim the current board isn’t following its legal and ethical responsibilities.

The Justice Department responded Thursday to Beatty’s ongoing lawsuit accusing the board of violating a court order by closing the center. DOJ denied that claim and said there’s no emergency caused by the temporary closure of the Kennedy Center.

They said the only emergency would be the risk to the public if the building remains open without renovations.

Plans to build President Donald Trump’s massive arch at Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery received preliminary approval Thursday. Transportation reporter Adam Tuss looks at some new issues that were raised.

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