"Can't steal? Wants to destroy": Trump stirs up controversy around the Kennedy Center

Hundreds of protesters surrounded the Kennedy Center in Washington in protest of President Trump's alleged intention to destroy the institution. The protest intensified after photos from Air Force One showed Trump examining a rendering of the destroyed center. Actress Lynda Carter also joined the protest, and a local official attacked the president.

Hundreds of protesters surrounded the Kennedy Center in Washington in protest of President Trump's alleged intention to destroy the institution. The protest intensified after photos from Air Force One, documented on Wednesday night by press photographers, showed Trump examining a large board with a rendering of a construction site under the title "Kennedy Center Destroyed." The images were circulated on social media and gave a significant boost to the number of participants. The angry crowd wrapped around the concrete pavilion at the front of the building and spilled onto the street and a nearby lawn. One woman was forcibly removed by security guards. Many artists who had previously performed at the center participated in the protest, including the Washington Gay Men's Chorus, whose performance was canceled last year. Actress Lynda Carter, star of "Wonder Woman," also joined the protest. The New York Times notes that while previous protests attracted only 60 to 100 people, the attendance on Friday was the largest so far. Organizers celebrated a previous legal victory that removed Trump's name from the center and expressed hope that the institution would reopen, after the board, chaired by Trump, moved earlier this week to close it.