The Kennedy Center board voted to restore Donald Trump's name to the performing arts center and name its grounds after him — but the public still doesn't know who is actually doing the renovation work. Court filings detail a massive construction operation at both the Kennedy Center and a new White House ballroom, but CBS News, which obtained the documents, focused on the naming fight and left the labor question unanswered.
At the White House, the ballroom project involves "millions of pounds of steel and rebar, miles of conduit and a crew of more than 200 working nearly around the clock, according to the filing. The Trump board also approved a resolution to engrave the building facade with: "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump." If a Trump-affiliated fund hits $100 million, the inscription will add: "Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund."
The board is stacked with Trump allies and administration officials, and chaired by the president himself. The resolution won't be implemented until at least September 8, giving opponents time to challenge it. U.S. District Judge Chris Cooper ruled in June that the board's first attempt to put Trump's name on the building was unlawful. Government lawyers now say the tarp and scaffolding currently covering the facade is for "water testing and structural repairs," and they won't say when it will come down.
The Kennedy Center has a history of outsourcing the craftsmanship that defines its architecture. If the marble, the columns, and the ornamental stonework are being sourced from foreign quarries and carvers — as is standard in elite construction — the American tradesmen who should be doing that work are left standing idle. Washington loves to talk about American manufacturing, but when it comes to building America's landmarks, foreign labor often gets the call.
The contrast with the administration's own drone program is stark. At the White House's first "Drone Dominance" summit, Under Secretary of Defense Emil Michael promised to "build up capacity in America" and cut reliance on Chinese components. The Pentagon is running gauntlet-style competitions for domestic drone makers, with $1 billion earmarked over two years. That's the kind of industrial policy the Kennedy Center renovation should be mirroring. If Trump wants his name on a building, it should be on work done by American hands.
