Photos capture Trump reading ‘Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED’ poster

Photos capture Trump reading 'Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED' poster. Joey Garrison USA TODAY.

Key points

• But Trump and the Justice Department argue that without the president's extra fundraising aiming for more than $100 million, the work can't be completed.
• The Kennedy Center's board, composed mostly of Trump loyalists, with the president serving as chairman, voted on Sept.
• Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center's plan to add an inscription on the building that notes renovated and restored by Donald J.
• The White House did not respond to a request for comment seeking an explanation for the poster.
• The photos, taken by Getty Images on Sept.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump was captured in photos reading a posterboard inside Air Force One that appears to say "Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED, " raising questions regarding his intentions with the iconic institution if the president's name is not allowed on the building.

For context, the photos, taken by Getty Images on Sept. 16, came hours after Trump remarked to journalists that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will "end up being ripped down" unless major renovations are undertaken. Trump and Kennedy Center authorities aligned with the president say the center's poor condition poses safety worries for visitors that require a major overhaul.

In the photos, taken through a window after Trump landed at Joint Base Andrews after a campaign trip to North Carolina, the president is seen looking directly at a poster with "Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED" written in substantial red letters. Although the content is not entirely clear, below the phrase appears to be an image of the center.

More: Trump notes Kennedy Center could be 'ripped down' without his overhaul.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, the plaintiff in a lawsuit against Trump over the Kennedy Center, cited the photo in a federal court filing as she seeks an emergency court hearing for a judge to consider halting the closure of the center.

Meanwhile, the White House did not respond to a request for comment seeking an explanation for the poster.

For context, the Kennedy Center's board, composed mostly of Trump loyalists, with the president serving as chairman, voted on Sept. 15 to close the center immediately to undergo two-year renovations that Trump has vowed to support pay for. Kennedy Center staff installed fencing around the building shortly after the vote's action. More: Trump threw 'tantrum' during Kennedy Center session, congresswoman states.

But Trump wants recognition in return for his financial backing. After the board's vote to close the center, Trump cautioned that he won't pursue the renovations unless U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper's decision this week keeping his name off the center's building is overturned on appeal.

Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center's plan to add an inscription on the building that notes "renovated and restored by Donald J. Trump" cannot move forward. The judge remarked the inscription violates his previous order in May to remove Trump's name from the center's title and signage and violates the 1964 law that created the center to honor President Kennedy after his assassination.

Congress has approved $257 million for renovations. But Trump and the Justice Department argue that without the president's extra fundraising aiming for more than $100 million, the work can't be completed. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around photos capture Trump reading Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED poster point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.