Trump exhibits such pronounced narcissistic tendencies that he is unable to accept, on any level, the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center, an institution established to honor President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Fundamentally, he lacks a sense of self and attempts to take credit for the accomplishments of former presidents in order to assuage his fragile ego.
BREAKING
Trump just told a federal judge that if the court won't let him bolt his name to the Kennedy Center the whole building gets DEMOLISHED — That is not a renovation plan. That is a hostage note.
Justice Department attorney Brantley T. Mayers filed that argument Monday before U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, writing that without the closure the building "will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down."
Mayers then floated what could replace the memorial Congress created for John F. Kennedy: "a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River."
The filing says an amphitheater would "fail to adequately honor" Kennedy, but says it "would be simpler and more economical to build, operate, and maintain."
Government lawyers also called the Kennedy Center "structurally unsound, fundamentally unsafe, and embarrassing to the Nation's Capital."
That is the administration's characterization of a building it wants control over.
Back in March, the court ordered the government to hand over documents on the "one year review" Trump claimed he had conducted, and to state in writing if no such documents existed.
The same filing praises Trump's "unrivaled expertise and experience in real estate and construction" and says he is "uniquely qualified" for the job.
It was written in opposition to Rep. Joyce Beatty, the Ohio Democrat who sits on the board as a trustee and asked the court to stop all of it. "Even Beatty should prefer a healthy, restored Center to a decaying hulk that is doomed to inevitable destruction or collapse," Mayers wrote.
On Aug. 13, the Trump-aligned board voted to put "Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump" on the facade and rename the plaza after him. If the Trump Kennedy Center Fund hits $100 million, more of his name gets added.
Cooper already ruled in May that Congress gave the Center its name and only Congress can change it.
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