The Trump administration warned in a federal court filing that Washington’s Kennedy Center could eventually be demolished if planned renovations are blocked, arguing that the venue cannot survive structurally or financially without presidential support. The filing proposed an outdoor amphitheatre overlooking the Potomac River as a simpler, more economical replacement, while acknowledging it would not adequately honor namesake John F. Kennedy. The warning came amid litigation over efforts to add President Donald J. Trump’s name to the building and follows a court ruling that the board cannot rename the institution because Congress controls its name. The center has cited Trump’s fundraising and $257 million in congressional funding as essential to its survival, but Washington Post documents indicated that projected fiscal 2026 revenue fell from $220 million to $124 million after ticket sales and donations declined.