An emergency appeal seeking to pause the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC was rejected by an appeals court on Friday. The decision upholds a previous judge’s order, clearing the way for the name to be taken down from the prominent performing arts venue.
Justice Department lawyers, acting on behalf of Donald Trump and the Kennedy Center board, had filed the emergency appeal earlier on Friday. They sought to stay a US District Judge's order that Trump's name be removed from the building's exterior. This followed an earlier denial by Judge Christopher Cooper of a last-minute attempt by the centre to retain the name.
Judge Cooper had ruled last month that the former president’s name had been unlawfully affixed to the iconic centre. In his 94-page opinion in May, he asserted, “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.” This ruling granted the institution two weeks to remove the name from both its building and its branding materials.
In compliance with the order, the Kennedy Center had already begun steps to remove references to Trump. A memo dated 4th June, reported by the Washington Post, from the centre’s general counsel, instructed staff to immediately update email signatures, letterheads, and other documents to reflect the correct name, such as ‘The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.’ The memo further directed that other changes, including to signage, brochures, and website pages, must be completed by 12th June 2026. The centre’s website had already removed Trump’s name earlier this week.
The legal challenge that led to this ruling was initiated by Joyce Beatty, a Democratic representative for Ohio and an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board. Representative Beatty had also filed an opposition to the request to pause the judge’s ruling on Friday. Judge Cooper’s order also temporarily prevents the performing arts facility from closing this summer for renovations, a project that had been approved by the Kennedy Center’s leadership and would have seen the building closed for two years for a £203 million 'revitalisation project'.
As the decision was made, workers were reportedly seen erecting scaffolding around the section of the building where Trump's name was affixed, with onlookers gathering to cheer on the efforts. This development marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate surrounding the legacy and naming conventions of public institutions in the United States.
Source: Associated Press, Washington Post