00:00I first want to ask what are the construction plans for the Kennedy Center? We've heard all
00:04this talk about it needing to be repaired. Obviously, there was that piece that fell out
00:08of the ceiling. Doesn't look great. But I mean, I've been there fairly recently. I've been
00:12backstage a bunch of times. It's still quite functioning and was in heavy use until very
00:17recently. What are they planning to do? And do we know what they're planning to do?
00:22Yeah, as soon as recently, it was quite usable. One of President Trump's main complaints is that
00:29it hasn't really kept up with the times. It was constructed in the 1970s, renovated in
00:35the 90s. But as you've seen there, it has kind of that vintage kind of retro feel. And so
00:43the plans, I think, are quite amorphous at this point. If you look at the renovations to the
00:50Oval Office and kind of the gildedness of it, you can imagine what the renovations might
00:57look like if they happen soon. One of the other complaints and what's kind of been happening,
01:03aside from just the building construction, is the removal of some of the art. It's been
01:08reported that President Trump doesn't like one of the signature blue pieces that's quite
01:13visible from the river. So it remains to be seen exactly what will happen. And of course,
01:19there was the fracas about Trump's name being on the building and the scaffolding that has been up
01:27there for quite some time. Get us up to speed on this other story because there was a photograph
01:31captured of President Trump on Air Force One with Bill Pulte, one of his advisors, holding up this
01:36massive piece of poster board that said Kennedy Center demolition. Is that something that's actively
01:41being talked about or floated or was it a red herring? It's being floated. And I think with the
01:48graphics that are presented to Trump, especially in that kind of a setting, it's hard to know for sure
01:54whether it is a certain plan or just an idea from somebody around him. But a judge did say this
02:00week
02:01that the Kennedy Center does need to provide notice if they are going to demolish it, given the building
02:07was federally funded. It was also designated by Congress as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy.
02:15So the judge basically said the Trump administration cannot just go ahead and demolish the building.
02:23So there is a renovation plan. It's prepared by Jones Lang LaSalle. But as you said, there's not a lot
02:29of
02:29details in it. It's going to include theater planning, design architects, but they haven't met with the
02:36performers. They haven't met with any of these groups that need to collaborate on that. Is there a fear
02:40they're going to go ahead without doing these things or are they abiding by the court for now?
02:47It seems for now, as in just like many of the cases that the Trump administration or people in
02:54his orbit are involved in, is that it's kind of stop and go. And honestly, it's up in the air
02:59to some extent how much they will comply with what the judge is saying. But it does appear that there
03:06is
03:07that the judge's ruling does have some impact on kind of their pace and whether they'll continue
03:13and just go forward. But it remains to be seen exactly how that will come about.
03:19Brian, something you folks.
