President Donald Trump faced a wave of online criticism on Tuesday after his administration warned that the Kennedy Center could face demolition if his extensive renovation plans are blocked.

The backlash came after Justice Department lawyers representing the performing arts venue raised the possibility of the building’s demolition in a court filing on Monday, arguing that the building faces "terminal decline" without the renovations, according to media reports. They suggested it could be replaced with "a large outdoor amphitheater" overlooking the Potomac River. The filing added a new and more contentious turn to an already high-profile dispute over one of Washington’s most recognizable cultural institutions, where questions about renovation, preservation, and executive authority now overlap.

"Just like a 10yo having a temper tantrum, he would rather destroy the Kennedy Center than see it left standing without his name on it,” former "Meet the Press" moderator Chuck Todd wrote on X.

"The incredible shrinking Trump (in persona, not actual size) somehow gets smaller," he added.

The prospect of demolishing the storied venue quickly triggered outrage online.

"Wake the f*** up, America," best-selling author Don Winslow told his online followers.

"Too bad SCOTUS won’t pump the brakes," former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance wrote on X. "After the midterms, Congress could adopt a measure prohibiting executive expenditures like this if a veto-proof majority believes in the separation of powers."

"This is despicable," posted Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. He compared the Trump administration’s threat to "threatening to tear down the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial out of petulance."

Sophia A. Nelson, a national opinion columnist, called for congressional action.

"Wait? Congress, do something!!" Nelson wrote on X. "What is his obsession with the Kennedy Center and destroying it? Does he hate JFK or something? His nephew, the namesake of RFK Sr., is in his administration. What is the problem here?"

Utah state Sen. Nate Blouin said in a post that the possible plan had "incredible take your ball and go home energy," while financial journalist Paul Lewis described the situation as "out of control."

Just like a 10yo having a temper tantrum, he would rather destroy the Kennedy Center than see it left standing without his name on it. The incredibly shrinking Trump (in persona, not actual size) somehow gets smaller — Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) August 25, 2026