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AFP photo shows Trump examining image of Kennedy Center apparent demolition / Photo: Brendan SMIALOWSKI - AFP
AFP photo shows Trump examining image of Kennedy Center apparent demolition
An AFP photo of Donald Trump examining a depiction of Washington's Kennedy Center apparently being demolished sparked social media attention Thursday after the president threatened to tear down the revered arts venue because he has been blocked from renaming it after himself.
In the exclusive image captured by AFP photographer Brendan Smialowski late Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews, the Republican leader was seen through the windows of Air Force One holding a placard with visible text in red declaring: "Kennedy Center DEMOLIS..."
The rest of the word was obscured by the plane's window frame but Trump has mused repeatedly about razing the Washington center.
Below the words is a large picture showing a yellow, heavy construction vehicle scooping rubble.
With his approval ratings in the low 30 percent range amid discontent over the war against Iran and the rising cost of living, Trump has fixated on getting the Kennedy Center renamed in his honor.
He threatened to tear down the venue after a judge ruled this week that his name cannot be added onto the building's exterior.
Trump said his administration planned to carry out needed multi-million dollar renovations, then would have to "subsidize it for years to come."
"I think that the Trump 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," he said Wednesday.
Shortly after beginning his second term, Trump installed himself as chairman of the center, which is named in honor of late president John F. Kennedy, a Democrat who championed civil rights before he was assassinated in 1963.
The venue's board voted in December to call it the "Trump-Kennedy" Center and installed signage with his name on it.
A judge ordered Trump's name removed from the exterior and overturned the board's decision to rename the institution.
Workers removed Trump's name from the building in June, but scaffolding and tarps have remained ever since.
The Kennedy Center takeover is one of several projects aimed at stamping Trump's brand on the US capital, including lavish gold trim in the Oval Office, a triumphal arch near the National Mall, and a half-billion dollar ballroom at the White House.
H.O.Scholz--BlnAP
