I’ve lived in Washington since 2009 and have come to love the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It opened in 1971 and has been a living memorial, enmeshed in the city’s life. For years it welcomed the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and I’ve seen “Revelations” many times. I’ve celebrated holidays there, watched the Martha Graham Dance Company, laughed with Trevor Noah, and enjoyed the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera — where Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia would go. Its Millennium Stage hosted freebies, and every year there was “The Nutcracker.”

Now President Trump is out to destroy the Kennedy Center. His determination to take over and threat to demolish it highlights his indefatigable petulance. Because he wants his name on the building. In December, his name was added to the facade. In May, a federal judge ordered its removal, noting only Congress can alter the name. The legal protest was led by Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio.

Mr. Trump would have people believe the Kennedy Center was an incubator of anti-American esoterica. But it was not. It welcomed touring musicals and exuberant dance companies, treating audiences with respect. As Francesca Zambello told me, political views weren’t discussed. The Kennedy Center is part of a cultural ecosystem where the arts are accessible — much of it free.