Kennedy Center's survival depends on Trump, DOJ says in new filing

The Trump administration argued in a Monday court filing that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must undergo proposed renovations and a cash infusion to survive.

Why it matters: It's the latest in the legal battle over the venue's future, which the administration has proposed to overhaul, including potentially adding President Trump's name to the building.

Driving the news: "An order blocking the Board from appropriately recognizing President Trump," the DOJ argued in Monday's filing, "will cause donors to flee, financial contributions to dry up, and structural rehabilitation to stop."

• Without Trump's efforts, the filing reads, "the Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down."
• The document also suggests that if the venue deteriorated that way, the Kennedy Center could be replaced with "a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River."
• Such a venue has "been proposed, by some, for many years," it continued.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.