Lawmaker Seeks Court Order to Block Return of Trump Name to Kennedy Center
Representative Joyce Beatty made an emergency request for a federal court order on Thursday to block the Kennedy Center from returning President Donald Trump's name to the building's facade. The board had voted to reinstate the name earlier this month.
Representative Joyce Beatty has requested an emergency federal court order to prevent the Kennedy Center from re-inscribing President Donald Trump's name on the building's facade. The move by the Trump-aligned board aims to add "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump." A further inscription, "Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund," would be added if a specific fundraising goal is met.
The board's resolution stated that the center would be in "financial ruin without President Trump's unique stature as both an unparalleled fundraiser and world-class developer." In addition to the facade inscription, the plaza in front of the center was also slated for renaming.
The Kennedy Center has stated it will not attempt to engrave the name before September 8, allowing time for legal arguments. Beatty, an ex officio member of the center's board, argues the board's actions violate a previous court order.
In May, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center had illegally added Trump's name to the building and ordered its removal. The center complied in June, though scaffolding and a tarp remain where the name was removed, with the center citing unrelated repair needs.