Thousands join protest outside Kennedy Center, expressing concern that
Trump might tear it down
[September 19, 2026]
By GARY FIELDS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of people joined outside the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts Friday evening to protest President
Donald Trump's plans for the facility, lending their voices to a chorus
of organizations and individuals who have been horrified that he might
make good on his threat to close and tear down the storied institution.
The crowd streamed in from the nearest subway stop, crowding streets in
the Foggy Bottom area of Washington and locking down traffic as they
walked, many carrying signs, as they joined in “Hands Around the Kennedy
Center.” At one point some held hands and formed a human chain around
the center.
Chris Raleigh, co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, which set up the
gathering, said in an interview that he hoped the event would show that
people are willing to fight to keep Trump's plans for the building at
bay.
One of the most iconic buildings on the Potomac River waterfront, the
Kennedy Center has been a focus of Trump’s remake of Washington since
2025, when he began installing favorites onto its governing board. Late
last year, he had his named placed on the center. A judge ruled that
Trump’s name was illegally added and ordered it removed.
The Kennedy Center board, which is aligned with the president, voted
Tuesday to close the center indefinitely for repairs hours after U.S.
District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked their plans to return Trump’s
name to the building. 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.
Raleigh said he, like others, is concerned that Trump could take the
step without notifying the court. “Look at the East Wing,” he said. “We
got up one morning and there was a giant hole there.”
Raleigh said the Kennedy Center is more in the public eye than the East
Wing was. He added he doesn’t believe the president fully understands
why people are so upset “but that’s our job right? This may be the line
that no one expected but this is where the line is going to be.”
A landmark of the performing arts has gone silent
Protesters talked about the importance of the center as the pinnacle of
the nation's performing arts world.
Bud Wilkinson, a local member of the arts community, set up a chalkboard
with Trump's name written on it hundreds of times. Protesters flocked to
him to erase the names and replace them with hearts.
“The Kennedy Center is vital to the arts in Washington. We need it. We
need this,” Wilkinson said. “This is not just about putting the
president’s name on the Kennedy Center. It’s about censoring the
performances and the programming. That’s what started all this. So
that’s what the nitty-gritty really is about this. So I want to replace
all of this with love. That’s why there’s a heart.”
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People rally against the closing of the John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in Washington. ( (AP
Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Alina Baciu talked about the opportunities and relationships that
students at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts have with the
center and how those relationships might be impacted by what's going
on.
Her daughter had numerous opportunities to take advantage of all the
center had to offer as a student at Duke Ellington, she said. “I
mean, 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.
Laura Steinberg, a volunteer for the last 10 years, said the loss of
performances has already been heart- wrenching. “This reminds me of
that picture from Tiananmen Square, where that young man stood in
front of the tank,” she said of the throngs present. “This was my
visceral response to this. I’ll stand in front of the wrecking ball
if it’s going to come to that. My guess is many of these people
would come down because we saw what he did to the East Wing. Nobody
thought he would actually do it. So I think the shock has mobilized
people.”
Friday's event followed a tumultuous week in federal courts in
Washington where filings and counter-filings flooded the courts as
the administration continues pushing 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. Such projects include Trump's triumphal arch and the
administration’s takeover of East Potomac Golf Links and the U.S.
Institute of Peace.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he was willing to save the
center, which he said was losing money. 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.”
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