Sept. 16, 2026
UPDATE: The Kennedy Center Is Officially CLOSED, Hours After Judge Refuses To Allow Trump’s Name On It
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RSS Feed President Trump’s self appointed Kennedy Center Board made the decision to close the memorial within hours of a judge blocking the latest effort to have Trump’s name etched on the building’s facade. And just wait until you hear the ten proposed inscriptions, all of which were rejected by the judge; each one praising, thanking and acknowledging Trump’s “generosity." But that proposed generosity has strings attached, Trump making clear in his latest social media post that a planned renovation won’t happen until the building is allowed to bear his name.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Wednesday, September 16th, and the Kennedy Center is closed. And it might not reopen, and it might not get much-needed renovation unless President Trump gets his name on it. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Rather sad, Robes, that it's come to this and all the back and forth. The center is closed to the public right now, and for one reason, it seems, and one reason only.
00:00:33
Speaker 2: Because if Trump can't get his name put on that building, etched in that building, so it cannot be removed, he is refusing to release any funding to renovate the building. And the claim is, by the board that he put in place, that the center is so unsafe that it must close down. And unless it gets these badly needed renovations, it will not reopen. Babe, how is this possible? And should we be considering this temporary? As in, like, as tragic as it might be that this center could be closed for the remainder of President Trump's presidency?
00:01:16
Speaker 1: His term, yeah.
00:01:17
Speaker 2: You have to believe that you have to hope that the next president won't make such demands attached to money.
00:01:27
Speaker 1: Nobody's going to demand their name on the building and no president even if there is a republican is going to demand that trump's name go on the building this is and the kennedy family the kennedy family baby this country this is a very important place and this is a sacred place and yes if you don't remember folks this is a living memorial this is a memorial to a president who was shot and killed in front of the world And it's closed, baby. It's closed. We've all been to shows there. This is a cultural arts center. It is incredibly important. And it's closed because they won't let Trump put Trump on the building. Babe, that's a tough thing to say out loud. And folks, we are not couching this. We're going to let you hear the president's own words. But we're not, for nothing other than that is the reason being given.
00:02:19
Speaker 2: It is. And look, every time we're seeing these pictures of the Kennedy Center as it's being announced everywhere you look on the news that it is shut down. It's so ridiculous to see the tarp still up, strategically placed exactly where he wanted or where his name once was. They have refused to actually show the building as it is As it was originally named because a judge ordered his name to come down and they have refused to let the world see what that building looks like without his name on it. That to me is so sad.
00:03:07
Speaker 1: It's a sad baby.
00:03:09
Speaker 2: And just embarrassing.
00:03:11
Speaker 1: I'm beyond. I'm not infuriated. I'm not mad. This is, like, it's heartbreaking, baby. This is sad.
00:03:17
Speaker 2: It's heartbreaking.
00:03:18
Speaker 1: You don't want your president to behave this way. Like, just for the sake of the country, what we're talking about is John F. Kennedy. We're not talking about politics. Every kid grows up learning about John F. Kennedy. That family, that legacy, like them, love them, hate them. They are our Camelot. This is a very important... They're still making shows recently about John F. Kennedy Jr. Rose, I wear a watch that John F. Kennedy Jr. made famous. What are we talking... These are the Kennedys. He died. We made a memorial to him. We are... Literally, they put Trump's name in front of Kennedy's on the front of the building, baby.
00:03:56
Speaker 2: That was in December.
00:03:57
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:03:57
Speaker 2: In December, they put Trump's name above John F. Kennedy's name on the Kennedy Center. In May, a judge ordered that Trump's name be removed. And we still... have tarps up. We still don't actually have a visual of Trump's name not on that building ever since he put it up. And then in August, the board proposed inscribing Trump's name on the building.
00:04:29
Speaker 1: What was that language?
00:04:30
Speaker 2: There it is.
00:04:32
Speaker 1: Yes. So the judge said, you can't put your name up. And they got cute with it and said, OK, we're going to do it this way. They're going to call it the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump. That's what he wanted to put up. And, of course, the judge said no to that as well. Robes, it is a difficult thing. There is a man who would rather see the center close than to help it stay open without his name. Robes, you can't even get angry. Robes, what person sits up there and says, nope? I am not going to help the Kennedy Center only if you let me put my name on it. Otherwise, I don't give a damn if the thing crumbles. Robes, there is a man who is keeping that position. Robes, there is no politics here, folks. That is literally what one man's stance is. I am floored.
00:05:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's heartbreaking. There's really no other way to put it. And I do appreciate the judge's words. The judge said, simply put, defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing.
00:05:53
Speaker 1: It's that simple. The law is very clear.
00:05:55
Speaker 2: It is. obvious and it's there for a reason that's appropriate.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: So let's get everybody caught up here we're sitting here now and the center is closed as of this morning which could be a violation of a court order but where we are is yesterday the judge had a conference with attorneys on both sides of this issue so the kennedy board was supposed to update the judge about where they were in renovations and where they were in getting the the name of the center The judge looked at their recommendations and said, BS. He called BS. All of this is in violation or would be in violation of my order. So he didn't sign off on any of it. So when that was done, the board then had a meeting. They had a meeting where they voted to close the center immediately. And that is what happened. Now, the judge has told them you can't close the center because of these renovations and this plan you have. So what did they do, Robes? They found a way around that by saying it's an emergency. We have to because remember a couple weeks ago we showed you that video of part of the ceiling collapsing on the inside? Every Republican is putting that everywhere online to remind you, oh yeah, it's such a dangerous emergency situation.
00:07:03
Speaker 2: They're doing this for us.
00:07:04
Speaker 1: That is what the argument is.
00:07:05
Speaker 2: They're doing this for our safety.
00:07:07
Speaker 1: That's what the argument is now.
00:07:09
Speaker 2: I do appreciate the words, though, that the judge used in his order.
00:07:13
Speaker 1: From the order, yes. This is golden.
00:07:14
Speaker 2: We need to go ahead and read this to you because it's just stated perfectly. Linguistic gymnastics cannot extricate the Kennedy Center's board from an operative judicial order or the governing statute it was designed to enforce. Until this court or a higher one says otherwise, the board may not implement its plans. The government plays word games. In its view, the renovation inscription is a recognition, a plaque, a testimonial or an acknowledgement that is anything but a memorial. But common sense dictates that the words renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump establish a memorial. Defendants themselves define a memorial as anything meant to help people remember some person or event as a statute, holiday, etc. So yes, it's a memorial. They want to call it a recognition, a testimonial, an acknowledgement. But no, it is exactly what you are not supposed to do.
00:08:24
Speaker 1: He added definitions in there and whatnot. Robes, it's that simple. They've been toying around with this for the longest. Now, they did give him 10 recommendations for a possible name change. We're going to save those and read them to you. I didn't even reveal them. Robes, actually, you asked Robes. not to hear all of them because you heard my reaction to them.
00:08:44
Speaker 2: Yes, I want to hear them in real time with all of you listening, what the proposed 10 different names of the Kennedy Center could be.
00:08:53
Speaker 1: And Trump was in all of those names.
00:08:54
Speaker 2: Shocking.
00:08:55
Speaker 1: But Rose, the board meeting yesterday apparently was a, man, I would have loved to have been on this call.
00:08:59
Speaker 2: Right? So we know this is a long standing back and forth between Representative Joyce Beattie because she was, what is her official role now? Because she was one of the original board members- and has had a vested interest in this center.
00:09:14
Speaker 1: She serves in a seat that he can't do anything about. It's an appointed seat. It's just an open chair that's occupied and he doesn't appoint. That's why she's still there, because obviously he would have booted her.
00:09:26
Speaker 2: Right. He got rid of everyone he could have, replaced everyone with his folks. And so, yes, Representative Beattie obviously is not going along with the rest of the board. And she said that there was name calling. She described the president as throwing a tantrum, that he was unprofessional. I was laughing at some of what she said. She said he had a limited vocabulary. So, you know, he knows words like dumb, you know, and things like that. I was surprised that the board people let.
00:09:55
Speaker 1: It go on.
00:09:56
Speaker 2: So we had some exchange of words. That's how she described it. it. But what they said back and forth was quite funny.
00:10:04
Speaker 1: Ropes, you can only imagine how this went. I didn't know he, yes, I didn't know he always calls into these calls. But Ropes, he, and you could see this. Like what she described, and we're only getting it from one side, but it's on brand.
00:10:17
Speaker 2: Right.
00:10:18
Speaker 1: Yes. Said he insulted her, told her, I think you're incompetent. Her response, I know you're incompetent. This is what she, she's been everywhere doing interviews and whatnot. But just, this is foolishness. This conversation shouldn't be, hey, they shouldn't be talking to each other this way, obviously. But sure enough, after that meeting, after all that back and forth, sure enough, the center was closed yesterday around 4.30, according to the New York Times. A PA announcement was actually made telling people to head for the Exits and folks started showing up there at the front door and being turned away by security.
00:10:51
Speaker 2: That's just awful.
00:10:51
Speaker 1: The Kennedy Center is closed. After all of this, it's closed.
00:10:54
Speaker 2: How are they allowed to do that, though? We know the official word is that it was an emergency order, that the building's about to collapse, and that if we don't get people out and close this down now, everyone's at risk.
00:11:07
Speaker 1: Really? That's what they're saying, because a judge won't allow them to close it on their own because of renovations, because they want to close it. So they've come up with what they say is an emergency reason. And that is what they gave them.
00:11:19
Speaker 2: Will we get a different, is there going to be another evaluation of the ability for the center to be occupied?
00:11:30
Speaker 1: Of course.
00:11:31
Speaker 2: There are building inspectors all over D.C. I'm sure they can independently review the structural integrity of the Kennedy Center.
00:11:39
Speaker 1: The point here, though, baby, is time. People are planning trips to D.C. This is a very significant stop along the way. The place is closed. Robes, acts have been leaving. Tickets aren't being sold. People aren't enjoying this thing anymore.
00:11:54
Speaker 2: He's bringing it to ruin if he can't put his name on it.
00:11:57
Speaker 1: There you go. There you go. So this was not on us. So you all listen to this now. This was the Truth Social post from President Trump, Robes, after that board meeting. And this is where.
00:12:10
Speaker 1: I mean, he got a little cute with some of the language, but he makes clear what he wants.
00:12:14
Speaker 2: Yes, he says the board of the Kennedy Center today agreed, almost unanimously, to close the building for safety reasons and so that it can begin the process of reconstruction. The closing will take place immediately. However, the renovation and reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the board's approved name. If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the reconstruction and the renovation of the Kennedy Center will not take place. The attorneys from the DOJ will ask for an expedited appeal. In the meantime, $ 17 million raised by President Trump has been put into the Kennedy Center account to keep it afloat.
00:13:05
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:13:05
Speaker 2: If you don't name it after me, if my name is not on that building, there will not be any renovations and the center will remain closed. I am done here. That is what he said.
00:13:19
Speaker 1: I don't know how to, I don't know to get outraged. This is shocking, baby. This is stunning, stunning. What other memorial could you name? When could this ever be justified? He is actually saying, I won't help unless my name goes on it.
00:13:38
Speaker 2: Not only will I not help, I will shut it down.
00:13:44
Speaker 1: Robes, there's a man who, that's just a tough thing for anybody to say. Robes, there was a huge donation here in New York. It was yesterday that was announced, $ 125 million is going to a hospital here.
00:13:57
Speaker 2: Robes.
00:13:58
Speaker 1: An anonymous donation. They didn't want to be known. In fact, after that, they insisted that somebody else's name be put on a building to honor the donation that had nothing to do with them. And that was just yesterday I saw that. That's how you do it. You help because it's the right thing to do and it's because it's in your heart and not because you want credit for it. Who among us, Robes, they could send me a form and say, make a donation, it's going directly to the Kennedy Center, sign me up.
00:14:29
Speaker 2: I was just wondering if that is going to be possible, but if the board controls everything and they're completely in President Trump's pocket, Would that even make a difference?
00:14:42
Speaker 1: It does. What I'm saying is we all feel a certain way about the center that we all would like to contribute to it being okay. And we don't need credit for it.
00:14:51
Speaker 2: Correct.
00:14:52
Speaker 1: This is embarrassing.
00:14:56
Speaker 2: It is embarrassing.
00:14:57
Speaker 1: Babe, this is what, this is, there is, oh man, babe, I just cannot imagine anyone being willing to do this.
00:15:05
Speaker 2: Ah.
00:15:06
Speaker 1: It's just shocking. Do we want to go through the other one here? Is this one worth reading?
00:15:10
Speaker 2: We can at least acknowledge that he put out another Truth Social post where he is trying to defend the closing of the center, saying the Kennedy Center is in a virtual state of collapse and has been for many years. A large piece of concrete and steel just dropped down in a thud from the ceiling of a heavily trafficked main hallway. If the building were open, innocent people would have been killed. A security guard had just passed the area one minute prior to the ceiling collapse. He was there for 60 seconds away from certain death. The judge has made us keep it open even though there are no performances and no people that would have the courage to even go in. I mean, this is really dramatic.
00:15:54
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ.
00:15:54
Speaker 2: To the point where I think he doth protest too much. I mean, it's literally, he's like, It was failing badly. It had nothing to do with me. I'm only there to help. We see what he's doing, but it's not believable. Time is our enemy. The board comprised of some of the most prominent and respected people in our nation is meeting again today. He's acting as if he's trying to save it. Please let me save it, but you have to let me inscribe my name on it because he knows all too well now if he puts his name on it, The next president will just take it down. So that's why he wants it inscribed.
00:16:35
Speaker 1: I cannot believe this is happening. You said inscribed. What exactly would that inscription say? Well, they gave the judge 10 options. We will let you hear them. Stay here.
00:16:54
Speaker 2: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. Yes, I have not looked at, I do not know, but I am here for it. You have the 10 options that Trump's appointed board gave the judge that they would like inscribed in the Kennedy Center's facade in order to reopen it and renovate it.
00:17:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, 10 options. Now, the previous we said here was the Kennedy... Center renovated and restored by President Donald J.
00:17:28
Speaker 2: Trump.
00:17:29
Speaker 1: That's the one they tried before he rejected. So here you go. Judge, we got 10 more options for you. How do you like the ring? How's this one ring for you, baby? Renovation and endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center.
00:17:42
Speaker 2: Is that for real? No?
00:17:44
Speaker 1: Okay, you don't like that one? That's okay. I got nine more for you. How about this? With gratitude for support from President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.
00:17:52
Speaker 2: Where is this going?
00:17:54
Speaker 1: And an inscription on the front of the damn building. How about this one for you? The Kennedy Center. Renovation, restoration, and endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund. Like that one? Because they're not working for you yet.
00:18:08
Speaker 2: None of these are even slightly okay.
00:18:11
Speaker 1: How about this? Renovation and restoration directed by President Donald J. Trump and the endowment provided by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund. It's a little long. How about this? Renovation and endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the endowment provided by the Trump-Kennedy Center Fund.
00:18:26
Speaker 2: You can't even say it all. None of that even fits on a business card.
00:18:30
Speaker 1: You know what? This next one I'm going to save to last. All right. Next one, though. Renovated, restored, and sustained through the generosity of President Donald J. Trump. You're not feeling that one. Okay. Renovation, oversight, and support provided by President Donald J. Trump. That's short and to the point. Okay, I got three more, but the last two are going to be a doozy. So here's one. Renovation, restoration, and support by President Donald J. Trump. Here are your doozies. Oh, my God. Last two.
00:19:03
Speaker 2: One.
00:19:03
Speaker 1: A legacy protected through the generosity of President Donald J. Trump.
00:19:10
Speaker 2: This is just, I actually feel sick to my stomach.
00:19:13
Speaker 1: And the last one. The center would be called. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts acknowledging the unwavering support of President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund. These are the options that they literally submitted to a judge yesterday.
00:19:30
Speaker 2: Yes, and they are getting in the Trump Kennedy Center. Like they're actually putting that in there and reiterating Trump Kennedy Center with Trump's name ahead of Kennedy's. And all of this is, honestly, babe, this is appalling and embarrassing and ridiculous, and it sounds like something that Kim Jong-un would insist on. This sounds like dictatorship stuff. Why do you care? And it's not even like, it's beyond just putting his name on it. He wants adoration and gratitude and um acknowledgement or else it's it's just he wants his ego to be forever uh stroked on a building's facade it's just it's weird it's like would king donald trump be good too because that's what this sounds like it's it's over the top in a way if i were reading this in a history book or even reading this in like another, like in a fictional book, I would be like, this isn't, this isn't real. This isn't, this couldn't actually happen in the United States, in the United States. Like this is delusional. If anyone thinks any of those things are going on the Kennedy.
00:20:51
Speaker 1: Center, the idea, how Robes, any of us, if, if you make a donation to the university of Georgia, for something that means something to you, or means something to the camp. What's the arch thing you have there?
00:21:06
Speaker 2: Yeah, the arches, yeah.
00:21:07
Speaker 1: Okay, the arches. Let's just say they were badly in disrepair. You gave the substantial amount to save it. And they come to you and they want to put up their renovated, restored, sustained through the generosity of and unwavering support of Amy J.
00:21:26
Speaker 2: Robach.
00:21:28
Speaker 1: You'd be embarrassed.
00:21:30
Speaker 2: I would die. No, do not do that.
00:21:32
Speaker 1: Do not.
00:21:34
Speaker 2: Oh, my goodness. It's so embarrassing. That's so embarrassing that that matters so much that you're willing to hold a memorial to another beloved president hostage and to know that people know that you care so much about that That you're willing to die on that hill. And that hill should be your pride. That hill is your integrity. You're choosing to throw that and expose your ego to the world unabashedly. That shows you're out of touch with reality. It's concerning and scary. It doesn't make sense. It feels delusional. And the fact that there are people who will do his bidding and they know damn well that this is insanity.
00:22:33
Speaker 1: Okay, have you, I haven't actually found someone to make a legitimate argument for why this is necessary. To be in support of, like, yes, I stand, like to publicly come out and say, I stand with President Trump and I believe his name must go on that building.
00:22:48
Speaker 2: Well, could there be a compromise? Like, I actually think I wouldn't have a problem with this. I think Kennedy's family would be the ones to ask, but would they be okay as a compromise for there to be a plaque inside the building in a hall?
00:23:00
Speaker 1: Sweetheart, his picture's in there right now. For the first time, there is another picture's president in the Kennedy Center, and it is of Trump.
00:23:07
Speaker 2: Yes. Okay, I was just thinking that that could be a compromise with a little plaque saying that he made sure the funds happened fine inside the hall, have a little... Alter to Trump where you've got a little plaque about what he did, but on the building's facade etched in the memorial?
00:23:26
Speaker 1: No. This is where we get lost. We're talking about a compromise on something where there shouldn't be one. There's nothing to talk about here. Do it because it should be done. History will remember you and the effort you led to push forward and make sure that money was raised.
00:23:40
Speaker 2: You just said something that just stood out. History will remember you. How is President Trump going to be remembered in history based on, well, plenty of things, but even specifically when it comes to the Kennedy Center? He's going to look like a fool in history books. And I don't know if he realizes that.
00:23:58
Speaker 1: But as long as his name is on the building.
00:24:00
Speaker 2: It won't be.
00:24:01
Speaker 1: It won't be. Like I'm sure of it. Will the building be there? Can he be stopped from tearing that building down?
00:24:11
Speaker 2: Oh, my God. Don't even go there. I can't imagine. That would be so sacrilegious.
00:24:16
Speaker 1: But they've shut it down, babe. They've shut it down and said it won't open again. So a judge is going to have to be a judge to get involved. Congress is going to have to get involved. Oh, my Christ. All right, folks, that is the update. The update is that the Kennedy Center is closed, and that is a damn shame. We always appreciate you spending a little time with us. I'm TJ on behalf of my dear Amy Robach. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Wednesday, September 16th, and the Kennedy Center is closed. And it might not reopen, and it might not get much-needed renovation unless President Trump gets his name on it. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Rather sad, Robes, that it's come to this and all the back and forth. The center is closed to the public right now, and for one reason, it seems, and one reason only.
00:00:33
Speaker 2: Because if Trump can't get his name put on that building, etched in that building, so it cannot be removed, he is refusing to release any funding to renovate the building. And the claim is, by the board that he put in place, that the center is so unsafe that it must close down. And unless it gets these badly needed renovations, it will not reopen. Babe, how is this possible? And should we be considering this temporary? As in, like, as tragic as it might be that this center could be closed for the remainder of President Trump's presidency?
00:01:16
Speaker 1: His term, yeah.
00:01:17
Speaker 2: You have to believe that you have to hope that the next president won't make such demands attached to money.
00:01:27
Speaker 1: Nobody's going to demand their name on the building and no president even if there is a republican is going to demand that trump's name go on the building this is and the kennedy family the kennedy family baby this country this is a very important place and this is a sacred place and yes if you don't remember folks this is a living memorial this is a memorial to a president who was shot and killed in front of the world And it's closed, baby. It's closed. We've all been to shows there. This is a cultural arts center. It is incredibly important. And it's closed because they won't let Trump put Trump on the building. Babe, that's a tough thing to say out loud. And folks, we are not couching this. We're going to let you hear the president's own words. But we're not, for nothing other than that is the reason being given.
00:02:19
Speaker 2: It is. And look, every time we're seeing these pictures of the Kennedy Center as it's being announced everywhere you look on the news that it is shut down. It's so ridiculous to see the tarp still up, strategically placed exactly where he wanted or where his name once was. They have refused to actually show the building as it is As it was originally named because a judge ordered his name to come down and they have refused to let the world see what that building looks like without his name on it. That to me is so sad.
00:03:07
Speaker 1: It's a sad baby.
00:03:09
Speaker 2: And just embarrassing.
00:03:11
Speaker 1: I'm beyond. I'm not infuriated. I'm not mad. This is, like, it's heartbreaking, baby. This is sad.
00:03:17
Speaker 2: It's heartbreaking.
00:03:18
Speaker 1: You don't want your president to behave this way. Like, just for the sake of the country, what we're talking about is John F. Kennedy. We're not talking about politics. Every kid grows up learning about John F. Kennedy. That family, that legacy, like them, love them, hate them. They are our Camelot. This is a very important... They're still making shows recently about John F. Kennedy Jr. Rose, I wear a watch that John F. Kennedy Jr. made famous. What are we talking... These are the Kennedys. He died. We made a memorial to him. We are... Literally, they put Trump's name in front of Kennedy's on the front of the building, baby.
00:03:56
Speaker 2: That was in December.
00:03:57
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:03:57
Speaker 2: In December, they put Trump's name above John F. Kennedy's name on the Kennedy Center. In May, a judge ordered that Trump's name be removed. And we still... have tarps up. We still don't actually have a visual of Trump's name not on that building ever since he put it up. And then in August, the board proposed inscribing Trump's name on the building.
00:04:29
Speaker 1: What was that language?
00:04:30
Speaker 2: There it is.
00:04:32
Speaker 1: Yes. So the judge said, you can't put your name up. And they got cute with it and said, OK, we're going to do it this way. They're going to call it the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump. That's what he wanted to put up. And, of course, the judge said no to that as well. Robes, it is a difficult thing. There is a man who would rather see the center close than to help it stay open without his name. Robes, you can't even get angry. Robes, what person sits up there and says, nope? I am not going to help the Kennedy Center only if you let me put my name on it. Otherwise, I don't give a damn if the thing crumbles. Robes, there is a man who is keeping that position. Robes, there is no politics here, folks. That is literally what one man's stance is. I am floored.
00:05:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's heartbreaking. There's really no other way to put it. And I do appreciate the judge's words. The judge said, simply put, defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing.
00:05:53
Speaker 1: It's that simple. The law is very clear.
00:05:55
Speaker 2: It is. obvious and it's there for a reason that's appropriate.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: So let's get everybody caught up here we're sitting here now and the center is closed as of this morning which could be a violation of a court order but where we are is yesterday the judge had a conference with attorneys on both sides of this issue so the kennedy board was supposed to update the judge about where they were in renovations and where they were in getting the the name of the center The judge looked at their recommendations and said, BS. He called BS. All of this is in violation or would be in violation of my order. So he didn't sign off on any of it. So when that was done, the board then had a meeting. They had a meeting where they voted to close the center immediately. And that is what happened. Now, the judge has told them you can't close the center because of these renovations and this plan you have. So what did they do, Robes? They found a way around that by saying it's an emergency. We have to because remember a couple weeks ago we showed you that video of part of the ceiling collapsing on the inside? Every Republican is putting that everywhere online to remind you, oh yeah, it's such a dangerous emergency situation.
00:07:03
Speaker 2: They're doing this for us.
00:07:04
Speaker 1: That is what the argument is.
00:07:05
Speaker 2: They're doing this for our safety.
00:07:07
Speaker 1: That's what the argument is now.
00:07:09
Speaker 2: I do appreciate the words, though, that the judge used in his order.
00:07:13
Speaker 1: From the order, yes. This is golden.
00:07:14
Speaker 2: We need to go ahead and read this to you because it's just stated perfectly. Linguistic gymnastics cannot extricate the Kennedy Center's board from an operative judicial order or the governing statute it was designed to enforce. Until this court or a higher one says otherwise, the board may not implement its plans. The government plays word games. In its view, the renovation inscription is a recognition, a plaque, a testimonial or an acknowledgement that is anything but a memorial. But common sense dictates that the words renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump establish a memorial. Defendants themselves define a memorial as anything meant to help people remember some person or event as a statute, holiday, etc. So yes, it's a memorial. They want to call it a recognition, a testimonial, an acknowledgement. But no, it is exactly what you are not supposed to do.
00:08:24
Speaker 1: He added definitions in there and whatnot. Robes, it's that simple. They've been toying around with this for the longest. Now, they did give him 10 recommendations for a possible name change. We're going to save those and read them to you. I didn't even reveal them. Robes, actually, you asked Robes. not to hear all of them because you heard my reaction to them.
00:08:44
Speaker 2: Yes, I want to hear them in real time with all of you listening, what the proposed 10 different names of the Kennedy Center could be.
00:08:53
Speaker 1: And Trump was in all of those names.
00:08:54
Speaker 2: Shocking.
00:08:55
Speaker 1: But Rose, the board meeting yesterday apparently was a, man, I would have loved to have been on this call.
00:08:59
Speaker 2: Right? So we know this is a long standing back and forth between Representative Joyce Beattie because she was, what is her official role now? Because she was one of the original board members- and has had a vested interest in this center.
00:09:14
Speaker 1: She serves in a seat that he can't do anything about. It's an appointed seat. It's just an open chair that's occupied and he doesn't appoint. That's why she's still there, because obviously he would have booted her.
00:09:26
Speaker 2: Right. He got rid of everyone he could have, replaced everyone with his folks. And so, yes, Representative Beattie obviously is not going along with the rest of the board. And she said that there was name calling. She described the president as throwing a tantrum, that he was unprofessional. I was laughing at some of what she said. She said he had a limited vocabulary. So, you know, he knows words like dumb, you know, and things like that. I was surprised that the board people let.
00:09:55
Speaker 1: It go on.
00:09:56
Speaker 2: So we had some exchange of words. That's how she described it. it. But what they said back and forth was quite funny.
00:10:04
Speaker 1: Ropes, you can only imagine how this went. I didn't know he, yes, I didn't know he always calls into these calls. But Ropes, he, and you could see this. Like what she described, and we're only getting it from one side, but it's on brand.
00:10:17
Speaker 2: Right.
00:10:18
Speaker 1: Yes. Said he insulted her, told her, I think you're incompetent. Her response, I know you're incompetent. This is what she, she's been everywhere doing interviews and whatnot. But just, this is foolishness. This conversation shouldn't be, hey, they shouldn't be talking to each other this way, obviously. But sure enough, after that meeting, after all that back and forth, sure enough, the center was closed yesterday around 4.30, according to the New York Times. A PA announcement was actually made telling people to head for the Exits and folks started showing up there at the front door and being turned away by security.
00:10:51
Speaker 2: That's just awful.
00:10:51
Speaker 1: The Kennedy Center is closed. After all of this, it's closed.
00:10:54
Speaker 2: How are they allowed to do that, though? We know the official word is that it was an emergency order, that the building's about to collapse, and that if we don't get people out and close this down now, everyone's at risk.
00:11:07
Speaker 1: Really? That's what they're saying, because a judge won't allow them to close it on their own because of renovations, because they want to close it. So they've come up with what they say is an emergency reason. And that is what they gave them.
00:11:19
Speaker 2: Will we get a different, is there going to be another evaluation of the ability for the center to be occupied?
00:11:30
Speaker 1: Of course.
00:11:31
Speaker 2: There are building inspectors all over D.C. I'm sure they can independently review the structural integrity of the Kennedy Center.
00:11:39
Speaker 1: The point here, though, baby, is time. People are planning trips to D.C. This is a very significant stop along the way. The place is closed. Robes, acts have been leaving. Tickets aren't being sold. People aren't enjoying this thing anymore.
00:11:54
Speaker 2: He's bringing it to ruin if he can't put his name on it.
00:11:57
Speaker 1: There you go. There you go. So this was not on us. So you all listen to this now. This was the Truth Social post from President Trump, Robes, after that board meeting. And this is where.
00:12:10
Speaker 1: I mean, he got a little cute with some of the language, but he makes clear what he wants.
00:12:14
Speaker 2: Yes, he says the board of the Kennedy Center today agreed, almost unanimously, to close the building for safety reasons and so that it can begin the process of reconstruction. The closing will take place immediately. However, the renovation and reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the board's approved name. If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the reconstruction and the renovation of the Kennedy Center will not take place. The attorneys from the DOJ will ask for an expedited appeal. In the meantime, $ 17 million raised by President Trump has been put into the Kennedy Center account to keep it afloat.
00:13:05
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:13:05
Speaker 2: If you don't name it after me, if my name is not on that building, there will not be any renovations and the center will remain closed. I am done here. That is what he said.
00:13:19
Speaker 1: I don't know how to, I don't know to get outraged. This is shocking, baby. This is stunning, stunning. What other memorial could you name? When could this ever be justified? He is actually saying, I won't help unless my name goes on it.
00:13:38
Speaker 2: Not only will I not help, I will shut it down.
00:13:44
Speaker 1: Robes, there's a man who, that's just a tough thing for anybody to say. Robes, there was a huge donation here in New York. It was yesterday that was announced, $ 125 million is going to a hospital here.
00:13:57
Speaker 2: Robes.
00:13:58
Speaker 1: An anonymous donation. They didn't want to be known. In fact, after that, they insisted that somebody else's name be put on a building to honor the donation that had nothing to do with them. And that was just yesterday I saw that. That's how you do it. You help because it's the right thing to do and it's because it's in your heart and not because you want credit for it. Who among us, Robes, they could send me a form and say, make a donation, it's going directly to the Kennedy Center, sign me up.
00:14:29
Speaker 2: I was just wondering if that is going to be possible, but if the board controls everything and they're completely in President Trump's pocket, Would that even make a difference?
00:14:42
Speaker 1: It does. What I'm saying is we all feel a certain way about the center that we all would like to contribute to it being okay. And we don't need credit for it.
00:14:51
Speaker 2: Correct.
00:14:52
Speaker 1: This is embarrassing.
00:14:56
Speaker 2: It is embarrassing.
00:14:57
Speaker 1: Babe, this is what, this is, there is, oh man, babe, I just cannot imagine anyone being willing to do this.
00:15:05
Speaker 2: Ah.
00:15:06
Speaker 1: It's just shocking. Do we want to go through the other one here? Is this one worth reading?
00:15:10
Speaker 2: We can at least acknowledge that he put out another Truth Social post where he is trying to defend the closing of the center, saying the Kennedy Center is in a virtual state of collapse and has been for many years. A large piece of concrete and steel just dropped down in a thud from the ceiling of a heavily trafficked main hallway. If the building were open, innocent people would have been killed. A security guard had just passed the area one minute prior to the ceiling collapse. He was there for 60 seconds away from certain death. The judge has made us keep it open even though there are no performances and no people that would have the courage to even go in. I mean, this is really dramatic.
00:15:54
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ.
00:15:54
Speaker 2: To the point where I think he doth protest too much. I mean, it's literally, he's like, It was failing badly. It had nothing to do with me. I'm only there to help. We see what he's doing, but it's not believable. Time is our enemy. The board comprised of some of the most prominent and respected people in our nation is meeting again today. He's acting as if he's trying to save it. Please let me save it, but you have to let me inscribe my name on it because he knows all too well now if he puts his name on it, The next president will just take it down. So that's why he wants it inscribed.
00:16:35
Speaker 1: I cannot believe this is happening. You said inscribed. What exactly would that inscription say? Well, they gave the judge 10 options. We will let you hear them. Stay here.
00:16:54
Speaker 2: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. Yes, I have not looked at, I do not know, but I am here for it. You have the 10 options that Trump's appointed board gave the judge that they would like inscribed in the Kennedy Center's facade in order to reopen it and renovate it.
00:17:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, 10 options. Now, the previous we said here was the Kennedy... Center renovated and restored by President Donald J.
00:17:28
Speaker 2: Trump.
00:17:29
Speaker 1: That's the one they tried before he rejected. So here you go. Judge, we got 10 more options for you. How do you like the ring? How's this one ring for you, baby? Renovation and endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center.
00:17:42
Speaker 2: Is that for real? No?
00:17:44
Speaker 1: Okay, you don't like that one? That's okay. I got nine more for you. How about this? With gratitude for support from President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.
00:17:52
Speaker 2: Where is this going?
00:17:54
Speaker 1: And an inscription on the front of the damn building. How about this one for you? The Kennedy Center. Renovation, restoration, and endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund. Like that one? Because they're not working for you yet.
00:18:08
Speaker 2: None of these are even slightly okay.
00:18:11
Speaker 1: How about this? Renovation and restoration directed by President Donald J. Trump and the endowment provided by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund. It's a little long. How about this? Renovation and endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the endowment provided by the Trump-Kennedy Center Fund.
00:18:26
Speaker 2: You can't even say it all. None of that even fits on a business card.
00:18:30
Speaker 1: You know what? This next one I'm going to save to last. All right. Next one, though. Renovated, restored, and sustained through the generosity of President Donald J. Trump. You're not feeling that one. Okay. Renovation, oversight, and support provided by President Donald J. Trump. That's short and to the point. Okay, I got three more, but the last two are going to be a doozy. So here's one. Renovation, restoration, and support by President Donald J. Trump. Here are your doozies. Oh, my God. Last two.
00:19:03
Speaker 2: One.
00:19:03
Speaker 1: A legacy protected through the generosity of President Donald J. Trump.
00:19:10
Speaker 2: This is just, I actually feel sick to my stomach.
00:19:13
Speaker 1: And the last one. The center would be called. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts acknowledging the unwavering support of President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund. These are the options that they literally submitted to a judge yesterday.
00:19:30
Speaker 2: Yes, and they are getting in the Trump Kennedy Center. Like they're actually putting that in there and reiterating Trump Kennedy Center with Trump's name ahead of Kennedy's. And all of this is, honestly, babe, this is appalling and embarrassing and ridiculous, and it sounds like something that Kim Jong-un would insist on. This sounds like dictatorship stuff. Why do you care? And it's not even like, it's beyond just putting his name on it. He wants adoration and gratitude and um acknowledgement or else it's it's just he wants his ego to be forever uh stroked on a building's facade it's just it's weird it's like would king donald trump be good too because that's what this sounds like it's it's over the top in a way if i were reading this in a history book or even reading this in like another, like in a fictional book, I would be like, this isn't, this isn't real. This isn't, this couldn't actually happen in the United States, in the United States. Like this is delusional. If anyone thinks any of those things are going on the Kennedy.
00:20:51
Speaker 1: Center, the idea, how Robes, any of us, if, if you make a donation to the university of Georgia, for something that means something to you, or means something to the camp. What's the arch thing you have there?
00:21:06
Speaker 2: Yeah, the arches, yeah.
00:21:07
Speaker 1: Okay, the arches. Let's just say they were badly in disrepair. You gave the substantial amount to save it. And they come to you and they want to put up their renovated, restored, sustained through the generosity of and unwavering support of Amy J.
00:21:26
Speaker 2: Robach.
00:21:28
Speaker 1: You'd be embarrassed.
00:21:30
Speaker 2: I would die. No, do not do that.
00:21:32
Speaker 1: Do not.
00:21:34
Speaker 2: Oh, my goodness. It's so embarrassing. That's so embarrassing that that matters so much that you're willing to hold a memorial to another beloved president hostage and to know that people know that you care so much about that That you're willing to die on that hill. And that hill should be your pride. That hill is your integrity. You're choosing to throw that and expose your ego to the world unabashedly. That shows you're out of touch with reality. It's concerning and scary. It doesn't make sense. It feels delusional. And the fact that there are people who will do his bidding and they know damn well that this is insanity.
00:22:33
Speaker 1: Okay, have you, I haven't actually found someone to make a legitimate argument for why this is necessary. To be in support of, like, yes, I stand, like to publicly come out and say, I stand with President Trump and I believe his name must go on that building.
00:22:48
Speaker 2: Well, could there be a compromise? Like, I actually think I wouldn't have a problem with this. I think Kennedy's family would be the ones to ask, but would they be okay as a compromise for there to be a plaque inside the building in a hall?
00:23:00
Speaker 1: Sweetheart, his picture's in there right now. For the first time, there is another picture's president in the Kennedy Center, and it is of Trump.
00:23:07
Speaker 2: Yes. Okay, I was just thinking that that could be a compromise with a little plaque saying that he made sure the funds happened fine inside the hall, have a little... Alter to Trump where you've got a little plaque about what he did, but on the building's facade etched in the memorial?
00:23:26
Speaker 1: No. This is where we get lost. We're talking about a compromise on something where there shouldn't be one. There's nothing to talk about here. Do it because it should be done. History will remember you and the effort you led to push forward and make sure that money was raised.
00:23:40
Speaker 2: You just said something that just stood out. History will remember you. How is President Trump going to be remembered in history based on, well, plenty of things, but even specifically when it comes to the Kennedy Center? He's going to look like a fool in history books. And I don't know if he realizes that.
00:23:58
Speaker 1: But as long as his name is on the building.
00:24:00
Speaker 2: It won't be.
00:24:01
Speaker 1: It won't be. Like I'm sure of it. Will the building be there? Can he be stopped from tearing that building down?
00:24:11
Speaker 2: Oh, my God. Don't even go there. I can't imagine. That would be so sacrilegious.
00:24:16
Speaker 1: But they've shut it down, babe. They've shut it down and said it won't open again. So a judge is going to have to be a judge to get involved. Congress is going to have to get involved. Oh, my Christ. All right, folks, that is the update. The update is that the Kennedy Center is closed, and that is a damn shame. We always appreciate you spending a little time with us. I'm TJ on behalf of my dear Amy Robach. We'll talk soon.