Anderson Cooper used his Thursday night broadcast to dismantle President Donald Trump’s latest threat to level the Kennedy Center, mocking the president’s suggestion that the historic building would simply disappear on its own.
“He said it’ll end up being ripped down as if buildings are just magically ripped down,” Cooper said on Anderson Cooper 360. “National landmarks don’t demolish themselves. He would be the one ripping it down.”
The segment came the same day a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to give 30 days’ notice before demolishing any part of the Kennedy Center, after Trump was photographed studying a poster that appeared to read “Kennedy Center Demolished.”
Cooper played Trump’s remarks from the day before, in which the president tied the fate of the historic Washington, D.C. arts institution directly to getting his name on it.
“For the Trump administration, for me to get involved and to take that on long term and to carry it or to raise money to carry it, I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition because frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close,” Trump said. “It’ll end up being ripped down. It’s in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape.”
“No recognition, gets ripped down,” Cooper said. “As veiled threats go, it could not be clearer.”
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s order on the potential demolition followed an emergency filing from Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, the only Kennedy Center board member Trump cannot remove.
Her attorneys argued the board’s stated reason for shutting the main building—citing safety concerns—was cover for something more permanent. “Defendants’ rationale that they are only temporarily closing the Kennedy Center is a plain pretext to justify shutting down the Center permanently,” the filing read.
Anderson Cooper noted that Beatty does not dispute that the building needs repairs, a point she made to him directly the night before, on his show. “What I can tell you is we know that the facility needs renovations,” Beatty told him. “I want to be very clear on this. And that did not start with Donald Trump. It started with the previous administration. The Congress allocated $257 million for us to do renovations. Why haven’t we proceeded with that?”
Cooper suggested Trump had already answered her own question, replaying the president’s line about needing recognition or watching the building close.
The anchor also pointed out that Washington has no grand monuments to John F. Kennedy, just a quiet eternal flame at Arlington National Cemetery and the Kennedy Center itself, built as what he called “a living memorial” and “a gift to the public.”
Congress created it as a place “people could be uplifted, transported,” Cooper said, “not a place to venerate him.”
Since returning to office, Trump has made himself chairman of the center’s board and stacked it with allies, including Maria Bartiromo and Pam Bondi, whom Cooper described as “a real creative bunch.” A judge blocked his push to add his name to the facade back in May.
Cooper closed by noting the demolition threat has precedent. “If it all seems inconceivable,” he said, “just tell that to the East Wing of the White House, which the president tore down almost a year ago.”
