President Trump was photographed Wednesday night looking over a large poster board. The image shows him seated on Air Force One after an event in North Carolina. He is holding a sign that appears to show the Kennedy Center with the word "Demolish" above it.
A photographer snapped the picture through a cabin window as the plane landed at Joint Base Andrews. The published images do not show the entire placard. The word "DEMOLISHED" is cut off, appearing only as "DEMOLIS" in the photos, per ABC News.
Bill Pulte, who chairs both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, accompanied the president. Pulte is known for pitching ambitious ideas to Trump using visual displays, according to the New York Post.
This photo comes just hours after a federal judge blocked Trump's name from the building again. In May, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper determined that the center's rebranding broke the law. Cooper mandated the removal of Trump's name from the structure within a two-week period.
Trump had threatened to have the building "ripped down" if his administration does not get recognition. He said this on the tarmac in Charlotte. Frankly, if recognition is not given to the Trump administration, the center will close, so it should certainly receive credit. It'll end up being ripped down, he said.
Tuesday saw the board vote to shut down the main building for repair work. Matt Floca, the executive director of the Kennedy Center, stated the seven-day closure remains only temporary. He noted the decision will be reevaluated on a weekly basis.
Trump claims the structure is in "very, very bad shape." He pointed to falling steel and plaster as evidence of danger. The facility is in a very dangerous condition, described as being in very, very bad shape. You see steel falling down. You see plaster falling off ceilings. You see a lot of dangers. It's been very badly maintained for 25 years, Trump said.
Congress allocated $257 million last year for necessary renovations, even though safety concerns existed. According to a social media post by Trump, renovations will not occur unless his name is restored to the building.
His name was previously added after the Trump-controlled board voted to rename it the "Trump-Kennedy Center." The legal fight continues over whether the center can install memorials without Congress's blessing. "Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing," the filing stated.
The current standoff leaves the future of the $257 million project in limbo while the court decides who gets to claim credit for the work.
