EXCLUSIVE: Trump Loses Bid to Keep Kennedy Center Renovation Plans Secret — Judge Orders Records Unsealed Despite 'Material Security Risk' Warning
President Donald Trump faces a court-ordered release of Kennedy Center renovation records.
Oct. 7 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump's administration has lost its bid to keep key Kennedy Center renovation records under wraps after a federal judge ordered documents unsealed despite officials warning their release could pose a "material security risk," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to court documents obtained by Radar, U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled on October 7 that a Delta Construction Group PowerPoint detailing proposed renovations must be unsealed in full.
Records Include Detailed Information About Restricted-Access Areas.
The Kennedy Center's renovation plans became the focus of a legal battle over public access to government records.
The judge also ruled that a massive 163-page renovation report prepared by real estate giant JLL should be unsealed, although the administration will first be allowed to propose narrowly tailored redactions aimed at protecting genuinely sensitive information.
The dispute erupted over documents considered by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts board during an August 13 meeting concerning whether to close the iconic building for renovations. Government lawyers fought the release of the JLL report, arguing it contains sensitive details about the heavily trafficked federal building.
Officials said the document includes "structural schematics, floor plans, points of ingress and egress, utility and maintenance infrastructure," as well as detailed information about restricted-access areas.
Judge Rejects Secrecy Bid
Trump's administration failed to convince a federal judge to keep the entire 163-page renovation report sealed.
The administration warned that releasing that type of physical information would be "unprecedented" and "could pose a material security risk to the building and those within."
But Cooper determined the government had not justified keeping the entire report hidden."Defendants have not met their burden to rebut the presumption of disclosure," the judge declared.
Cooper noted the JLL plan was created for and used by the board of a public trust while it deliberated over "how to use public funds to renovate a public building" – a factor he said strongly favored disclosure. The court also pointed out that national media outlets have already reported portions of the plan and that hundreds of detailed photographs and building schematics have previously appeared on the public court docket.
Trump's Own Evidence Undermines Secrecy Bid
A judge ruled that much of the disputed Kennedy Center renovation report appears to contain non-sensitive or publicly available information.
Another major factor working against the administration was its own reliance on the secret document.
According to Cooper, Trump's side "extensively" relied on the JLL report while seeking partial summary judgment and attempting to dissolve a preliminary injunction in the case. The judge concluded that factor "heavily favors unsealing" because the material is relevant to central issues in the litigation.
Cooper stopped short of ordering every page released without changes, giving officials one final opportunity to identify legitimate security concerns.
Deadline for Trump Administration
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Rep. Joyce Beatty challenged the sealing of Kennedy Center renovation records
The judge said the "vast majority" of the JLL report appears to contain information that is either non-sensitive or already publicly available. Any proposed redactions, he warned, "must be narrowly tailored and specifically supported."
The Trump administration has until October 14 to submit proposed redactions accompanied by "particularized and substantial written justifications."
Plaintiff Rep. Joyce Beatty will then have until October 19 to respond before Cooper decides which portions, if any, may remain hidden.
