President Donald Trump faced a torrent of online criticism Tuesday after his administration warned that the Kennedy Center could face demolition if his extensive renovation plans are blocked.
"Just like a 10yo having a temper tantrum, he would rather destroy the Kennedy Center than see it left standing without his name on it,” former “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd wrote on X.
“The incredible shrinking Trump (in persona, not actual size) somehow gets smaller,” he added.
Justice Department lawyers representing the performing arts venue raised the possibility of the building’s demolition in a court filing on Monday, arguing that the building faces “terminal decline” without the renovations, according to media reports. They suggested it could be replaced with “a large outdoor amphitheater” overlooking the Potomac River.
But the prospect of demolishing the storied venue immediately sparked outrage online.
“Wake the f*** up, America,” best-selling author Don Winslow told his online followers.
“Too bad SCOTUS won’t pump the brakes,” former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance wrote on X. “After the midterms, Congress could adopt a measure prohibiting executive expenditures like this if a veto-proof majority believes in the separation of powers.”
“This is despicable,” posted Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. He compared the Trump administration’s threat to “threatening to tear down the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial out of petulance.”
Sophia A. Nelson, a national opinion columnist, demanded congressional intervention.
“Wait? Congress, do something!!” Nelson wrote on X. “What is his obsession with the Kennedy Center and destroying it? Does he hate JFK or something? His nephew, the namesake of RFK Sr., is in his administration. What is the problem here?”
Utah state Sen. Nate Blouin said in a post that the possible plan had “incredible take your ball and go home energy,” while financial journalist Paul Lewis summed up the matter as “out of control.”
Just like a 10yo having a temper tantrum, he would rather destroy the Kennedy Center than see it left standing without his name on it. The incredibly shrinking Trump (in persona, not actual size) somehow gets smaller https://t.co/IRrRWfHLvB
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) August 25, 2026
