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President says he will consider helping fix Kennedy Center, describes Lincoln Memorial promenade plan
Summary
The president said the Kennedy Center has lost "hundreds of millions" of dollars and that a judge's ruling slowed repairs; he also described a plan for a promenade to reconnect the Lincoln Memorial with the Potomac, saying funding could come from multiple sources.
The president told reporters he has been asked to stay involved with the Kennedy Center, which he described as having lost "hundreds of millions of dollars" and as needing both physical repairs and improved attendance.
Why it matters: The Kennedy Center is a national cultural institution; statements about federal involvement and obstacles created by a judge's ruling could influence reopening or repair plans and funding options.
In the gaggle, the president said the Kennedy Center's losses were large and that a judge's decision had "really made it very hard" to proceed with planned fixes. He said he would review the ruling and consider steps to help restore the institution physically and organizationally.
Separately, the president described a plan for a promenade reconnecting the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River via platforms and said funding could come from numerous sources so that Congress might not need to be revisited for financing.
What comes next: The president said he would "take a good look" at the judge's ruling and the Kennedy Center's condition; no specific funding commitments or legal actions were announced during the gaggle.
