Why the courts could prevent a sudden Kennedy Center demolition

State of play: The Kennedy Center hasn't directly addressed the photo, with spokesperson Roma Daravi praising the Trump-backed renovation plans to "modernize the facility."

Yes, but: In terms of any demolition, it'd need the approval of the courts. And there's one big difference versus the East Wing teardown: a federal judge has already put up a legal guardrail.

• U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper has ordered Trump officials to give at least 30 days' notice before making any changes to the Kennedy Center, explicitly including any demolition of the main building.
• That gives the court time to evaluate — and potentially block — any demolition plan before the wrecking ball arrives.

And if they razed it anyway? Anyone involved, including the demolition crew, "could be held in contempt of court," writes Washingtonian, which spoke to attorneys to better understand the case.

• That theoretically would scare off any contractors from getting involved.
• In addition, the admin would have to present a strong case for demolishing it, as opposed to renovating the facility. Cooper has ordered a "detailed status report" on the closure and repairs by Wednesday.

The bottom line: The courts, in this case, have an earlier opportunity to prevent any sudden demolition.