Greg Werkheiser says Trump is legally obligated to raise Kennedy Center funds or step aside
Greg WerkheiserFounding partner of Cultural Heritage Partners and attorney for the eight plaintiff organizations in D.C. Preservation League v. Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, speaking at a press briefing for reporters
At a press briefing on September 17, 2026, Greg Werkheiser, an attorney for eight preservation organizations suing over the Kennedy Center, said that President Trump, if he has the capacity to raise money the center needs, is legally obligated to raise it or step aside, according to ARTnews. ARTnews also reported that he characterized the president's position on repairs and fundraising without his name on the building as a "hostage-taking" situation. The quotation begins mid-sentence; "he" refers to Trump, per ARTnews.
“he is legally obligated—if he has the capacity to raise money and they need it, he must raise that money or step aside.”
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Where this statement fits
Should Donald Trump link the Kennedy Center's renovation to recognition for his administration?
On September 15, 2026, a federal judge barred the Kennedy Center board, chaired by Donald Trump, from inscribing "renovated and restored by Donald J. Trump" on its main building or renaming the grounds for him. The board then voted to close the main building, and Trump posted that renovation "cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board's approved name" and "will not take place" if that ruling is negative and not overturned. In Charlotte on September 16 he said the administration "should certainly have recognition. Because frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close. It'll end up being ripped down." The White House says the center will "inevitably continue to decline" without his intervention; Rep. Joyce Beatty's lawyers wrote that Trump said "if he is not recognized on the building, it will close and be ripped down." The dispute is over whether the renovation should depend on recognition for Trump's administration and what his remarks mean.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
News report of remarks Werkheiser made at a press briefing on 2026-09-17; the article is timestamped 3:03 PM ET that day. The quotation is the reporter's rendering of oral remarks and begins mid-sentence. We could not locate a recording of the briefing, so the words are checked as printed, not against audio. The same paragraph attributes to him the characterization of the president's position on repairs and fundraising as a 'hostage-taking' situation.
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About this source
Corroborates that Werkheiser spoke to reporters on 2026-09-17 (published 11:24 AM ET, updated 12:05 PM EDT) and reports a related remark from the same briefing, describing Trump's power over the center's rescue as a responsibility rather than leverage to demand that the institution honor him. It also says the plaintiffs' written statement was provided by Werkheiser. Cited from the AMP version of the same article (same URL plus /amp/). Not the basis of the quotation.
Reporting
About this source
Version updated 2026-09-17 6:49 PM UTC. Cited only for the same-day court order (sworn status report due September 23; written notice before demolition or change of scope) and Werkheiser's emailed reaction to it.
Before the quotation
On September 15, Judge Christopher Cooper again ruled that the Kennedy Center board cannot place Trump's name on the building or grounds without congressional authorization; Werkheiser said Trump responded that the renovations will not proceed unless that ruling is overturned, according to The Hill. On September 17, the eight plaintiff organizations issued a written statement asking the court to consider appointing a receiver or replacing the center's leadership if it is unwilling or unable to protect the building.
After the quotation
The Hill reported that Werkheiser told reporters the plaintiffs will likely soon file for a receivership. The same day, Judge Cooper ordered the Kennedy Center to file a sworn status report on the closure by September 23 and to give challengers written notice before any demolition or change in the scope of planned renovations; Bloomberg Law reported that Werkheiser described the order in an email as a significant win for the public.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Speaking as the plaintiffs' counsel two days later, Werkheiser said Trump is legally obligated to raise the money the center needs or step aside, and ARTnews reported that he characterized the position as a "hostage-taking" situation, which expressly rejects tying the work to recognition. The closest competing label is “Mixed or conditional”, because the quoted sentence contains an "if he has the capacity" clause. That loses because the clause defines the scope of the duty he asserts and does not make his rejection of the condition depend on anything unresolved.
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- Donald Trump
More from this case
Read the full caseSheldon Whitehouse says Trump appointees' conduct is hard to square with the board's fiduciary duty
“Not easy to see how any of this behavior of Trump appointees comports with the board’s fiduciary duty to the Center.”Read statement
Dechicchis criticizes putting recognition ahead of improvements
“In Trump’s mind, if he doesn’t get the recognition he feels he deserves, there’s no point in continuing improvements on the center.”Read statement
Kerry Kennedy says Congress already funded the Kennedy Center's restoration and tells Trump "That's not your job"
“this is the memorial created by the United States Congress to a slain president. So, putting Trump's name on it would be like renaming the Washington Monument the Trump Washington Monument or the Trump Lincoln Memorial or the Trump Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. ... And their argument is they're not -- there is not money for it. But in the Big Beautiful Bill, they -- the Congress passed $246 million in order to restore the Kennedy Center. So that's just not true. ... So President Trump, do your job. Focus on the people's pain and the work that you're supposed to do in the -- in the Oval Office and not on the Kennedy Center. That's not your job.”Read statement
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- Greg Werkheiser says Trump is legally obligated to raise Kennedy Center funds or step aside
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The Dispute Index. "Greg Werkheiser says Trump is legally obligated to raise Kennedy Center funds or step aside". First published: 2026-09-19. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1171-at-a-press-briefing-on-september-17-2026