Transcript of Kennedy Center Demolition Threat, Trump's Troubles, Poland Warns Of Russian Attacks

Its ornate doors may be closed, but it's still been an eventful week for the Kennedy Center. President Trump said if he doesn't get his name on the building, it will be ripped down.

A federal judge said he can't do that, at least without giving 30 days' notice.

I'm Michelle Martin. That's A. Martinez. And this is Up First from NPR News. Trump isn't just facing resistance over the Kennedy Center. The Supreme Court blocked his mail-in voting plan, and the Fed raised interest rates despite his long pressure campaign to get the Fed to lower them are other parts of government setting some limits on his power.

Also, Poland is warning that Russia may be prepping drone or missile strikes on countries supporting Ukraine that would be made to look like accidents. Is Moscow testing NATO's resolve? Stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your day. This week on Consider This, the Fed raises interest rates. We break down what that means for your pocketbook and for politics as midterms approach.

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The flurry of activity over the Kennedy Center continues. A judge told President Trump on Thursday that he cannot tear it down, at least not without 30 days' notice.

The president's been hinting at tearing it down after he was blocked from putting his name on it. The main building is closed and surrounded by gates. The center's Trump-aligned board voted to close it, citing safety concerns after heavy rain caused some ceiling plaster to fall. And all the back and forth has left the center's future uncertain.

We're joined now by NPR culture correspondent Anastasia Siulka. So let's start with where things stand in the court case.

There has been so much, eh? By my count, there were 9 separate court filings and rulings between Wednesday and yesterday afternoon. Many of those included multiple documents. But here's the biggest headline: the federal judge told Trump and the board that they cannot demolish the Kennedy Center, or build anything new without providing 30 days' notice. And I should note, eh, that the judge didn't say anything about needing congressional approval for any of that.

Okay, so the judge says can't demolish unless you've got 30 days' notice. But how worried are people that that might actually still happen?

Well, Trump has been threatening to demolish it if his name is not on it. And Wednesday night, a news photographer took a picture of Trump on Air Force One And in the photo, we see the president looking at a large placard that refers to the center being demolished. Now, earlier that day, Trump commented about the Kennedy Center. He said it has lost hundreds of millions of dollars but has provided no evidence of that. And here's Trump talking to reporters on the tarmac.

So for the Trump administration, for me to get involved and to take that on long term and to carry it or to raise money to carry it, 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.

And meanwhile, the center's main building and theaters are shut down. Now, what are you learning about that?

So for a little bit of context, A, we're talking about the big white building that sits right on the edge of the Potomac River. It's been a showpiece for performing arts in D.C. since the venue opened in 1971. And it's been a hugely prestigious place for performers visiting from all over the globe and to showcase American talent. There has been a lot of confusion around the closing itself. On Wednesday, the center's current executive director and chief operating officer, Matt Floca, said the building's current closure is, quote, temporary. The same day, a staff member at one of the law firms representing Joyce Beatty, the Democratic congresswoman from Ohio who's suing Trump and the board, Submitted a sworn statement to the court. She said she witnessed a forklift ram into the building's pillars several times on Wednesday as construction crews were putting up those barriers. And then yesterday, 8 architecture and culture groups who filed a separate lawsuit against the Kennedy Center board last May asked the court to appoint a receiver or independent monitor, some neutral other party, to protect the building and the institution.

Any answer from the court on that?

Not yet, eh? But I will keep following. And I think there's another point worth making here. The Kennedy Center really prided itself on making free public programming 365 days a year, which is pretty remarkable for a performing arts venue of that size and scope. So whatever happens, there's the real possibility of a huge change to the landscape in Washington, D.C., not just in terms of the architecture, but also in terms of the cultural landscape.

That's NPR's Anastasia Siulkas. Thanks a lot.

Thanks for having me.

President Trump has had a few things not go his way this week.

As we just heard, a federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center from putting his name back on the building. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates at a time when Trump has been aggressively campaigning to get them lower. The Supreme Court stopped his attempt to restrict mail-in voting. And there are other challenges to his agenda.

NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben joins us. Danielle, let's run through that list.

Sure. So let's start with the Supreme Court, which ruled against a Trump executive order that told the Postal Service to only send mail ballots to certain verified voters in this year's midterms. Trump thinks limiting mail-in voting helps Republicans, which, by the way, isn't at all clear, but also that type of restriction is tied to the 2020 election because Trump still baselessly maintains that he won that. Of course, that's not true. Now, as far as interest rates, the Fed said this week that it was raising the federal funds rate a notch to just under 4%. Trump, though, wants interest rates lowered, like Michelle mentioned. Here he was at a rally this week.

The only problem we have is that interest rates are artificially high. Interest rates in the United States should be 1% or less because We are the best credit in the world by far with all that money pouring in.

Now, lower interest rates do encourage growth, but then they can also push inflation even higher. And right now, the Fed wants to lessen inflation. And that's inflation, by the way, caused in part by Trump's war in Iran. And like we've just heard, there are Trump and his threats to demolish the Kennedy Center if he can't get his name on it. And a federal judge said no.

Yeah.

Now, what else has Trump been dealing with?

Well, on top of all of that, Trump has several ongoing problems. His approval remains below 40% by most polls. We saw some pushback from within his own party, quite vocal pushback, with a new ad from Florida Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar criticizing Trump's immigration policy. And then the price of diesel fuel hit a record high this week.

All right.

So he's having a bad week. Why do these setbacks matter?

Well, beyond the substance— and the substance is important because, you know, there's the issue of people not being surprised by new voting rules, for example— it's also striking that a lot of this pushback is on some of his top priorities, like voting limits, the economy, his building projects. This is also, though, new data for the ongoing question of what limits institutions are willing to put on him. The Supreme Court has given him a lot of power, but now not to quickly impose voting restrictions. Trump picked Kevin Warsh as Fed chair while frustrated about too high interest rates. But then Warsh didn't do what he wanted this week.

But, OK, Trump's still the president, though. I mean, he's got so much power, wielded a lot of power, making a lot of changes to the government. Is this any sign, though, of any real change in his circumstances?

You know, you're totally right. It is not that suddenly all the institutions are turning on him, but the midterms are getting closer and he has just over 2 years left in his presidency. So first of all, after those midterms especially, what capacity will he have to act more on his priorities. A new Congress might push back on him. And anytime we're looking ahead, we have to think about political life after Trump. We see some growing ideological rifts in the GOP. We see the first inklings of Republican lawmakers pushing back on him. Voters are frustrated with him. And so especially after midterms, all of that may intensify.

All right, that's NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben. Thanks a lot.

Thank you.

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk says that Russia is planning, quote, accidental strikes on countries supporting Ukraine.

His warning on Thursday follows a series of incidents along NATO's eastern flank that member countries have blamed on Russia.

For more, we're joined now by Esme Nicholson in Berlin. Esme, Tusk issued this warning in front of lawmakers, Polish lawmakers, in Parliament. What, what does accidental strikes mean?

That's a good question. I mean, his warning was loud and clear. And essentially, Tusk was saying that Russia is planning to send drones or missiles into NATO territory and then claim that these incidents are accidental. He went on to say that these potential strikes intend to paralyze NATO, or at least weaken the alliance's willingness to respond collectively, to demonstrate that Article 5 exists only in theory. Article 5, of course, meaning an attack on one is an attack on all. Tusk said that he received intelligence from NATO Ukraine and US agencies, but he didn't specify which one he was citing. It's important, I think, to stress here that Tusk said, quote, there is nothing to suggest an invasion, but he warned that Poland is about to face a real test as one of Ukraine's staunchest allies. And he added that the coming months are likely to be the most critical for Ukraine as Russia attempts to further destroy its economy and infrastructure.

When Tusk also warned of political shifts within Europe that are undermining NATO's commitment to Ukraine, what was he talking about? Who is he referring to?

Well, yes, he appeared, first of all, to be talking about Russia-friendly political parties currently gaining ground here in Europe, such as the far-right Alternative for Germany or Marine Le Pen's National Rally in France. He warned that these parties are, quote, looking for an excuse not to defend Poland and the Baltic states, where suspected Russian incursions are really becoming an everyday occurrence. And he added that these Russia-friendly parties talk about peace but are essentially calling for the total capitulation of Ukraine. Tusk also questioned whether NATO members in the West were giving much thought at all to the eastern flank, pointing out that Poland is more likely to need help under Article 5 than, say, Portugal or Ireland. But just after Tusk spoke yesterday, President Trump announced progress in establishing a permanent US Army base in Poland, where troops are currently hosted on a rotational basis.

Tell us more about the incidents that European governments are already saying were Russia's fault.

Well, yeah, these are what are considered hybrid attacks, which include sabotage, disinformation, and cyberattacks. Now, these don't reach the bar of an act of war, but this week alone, the Polish military says it retrieved a Russian drone carrying a warhead just off its coast. A Russian drone hit a passenger train in Ukraine just a mile from the Polish border, and NATO jets shot down a drone in Lithuania. So European countries are starting to speak up more plainly about what they perceive to be a coordinated Russian campaign. Germany, for instance, recently blamed Russian operatives for an attempted drone strike on an airport which serves as a major NATO hub. Russia's foreign ministry denies the accusations, calling them contrived and far-fetched. But Tusk's warning yesterday was as much for NATO as it was for Moscow. He ended his speech by appealing for unity, and unity within Poland and within Parliament as well, for a resolute response to any attacks, and he underscored Poland's own commitment to Article 5.

That's Esme Nicholson in Berlin. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ed.

And that's Up First for Friday, September 18th. I'm Ed Martinez.

And I'm Michelle Martin. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Steve Drummond, Rebecca Metzler, Tina Kraia, Mohammed Elbardisi, and Alice Wolfley. It was produced by Ziyad Butch and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Zach Coleman. Our technical director is Carly Strange, and our executive producer is Jay Shaler. We hope you'll join us again on Monday.

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