The Kennedy Center board is seeking a pause on a court ruling that mandates the removal of Donald Trump's name from the venue's facade by Friday. This effort comes as the deadline approaches.
Key points
Kennedy Center board seeks to pause court ruling
Court ordered removal of Trump's name by Friday
Trump's name added in December 2025
Board appointed by President Trump
Mentioned in this story
Kennedy CenterDonald Trump
A man wheels a garbage bin outside of The John. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Washington.
A man wheels a garbage bin outside of The John. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Washington.
Rod Lamkey/AP Photo
Rod Lamkey/AP Photo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's handpicked board at the Kennedy Center is mounting a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the iconic performing arts facility before a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday.
The board voted Thursday to seek a stay of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper's May 29 ruling that said Trump's name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center, according to a person familiar with the move who requested anonymity to discuss a private meeting. The formal request was filed late Thursday.
Cooper ruled that only Congress could institute a change to the Kennedy Center's name and ordered references to Trump be removed by Friday. He also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.
Q&A
Why is the Kennedy Center board trying to pause the removal of Trump's name?
The board is attempting to keep Trump's name on the facade before a court-ordered deadline for its removal.
What is the deadline for removing Trump's name from the Kennedy Center?
The deadline for the removal of Trump's name is set for Friday.
When was Donald Trump's name added to the Kennedy Center?
Donald Trump's name was added to the Kennedy Center in December 2025.
Who appointed the board at the Kennedy Center that is fighting the ruling?
The board at the Kennedy Center was appointed by President Donald Trump.
Pope Leo’s visit lays bare Spain’s tangled politics of faith and migration
Pope Leo XIV's visit to Spain highlighted tensions between the Catholic Church's teachings on migration and the far-right Vox party's politics. His address emphasized compassion for migrants, contrasting with Vox's stance on immigration.
Mountain of war: The India-Pakistan conflict’s deadliest battle zone
The Siachen Glacier, a contested battlefield since 1984, remains a focal point of conflict between India and Pakistan. Recent tensions escalated in May 2025 after a deadly attack in Pahalgam led to military confrontations involving missiles and drones.
See every story in News — including breaking news and analysis.
The board move marks a shift from a June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center's Office of General Counsel saying email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" or "Kennedy Center."
The Kennedy Center's website has dropped the president's name. And an email earlier this week sent to members offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump's name.
"The Trump administration's 11th hour gambit after waiting nearly two weeks evinces desperation," Norm Eisen, a board member at Democracy Defenders Action, and Nathaniel Zelinsky, senior counsel at the Washington Litigation Group, said in a statement. "That is what they should be feeling because they don't have a legal leg to stand on. We will be vigorously contesting this latest ploy as we have throughout the case on behalf of Congresswoman Beatty and the American people."
They represent Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center's board who filed the lawsuit seeking to remove Trump's name from the institution.
After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he ousted the center's previous leadership and replaced it with a hand-picked board of trustees that named him chairman. He brought in Richard Grenell to serve as president, a position he held until March when Matt Floca assumed the role.
The center's lineup has included more Trump-friendly programming, serving as the venue for events such as the premiere of first lady Melania Trump's documentary, "Melania."
The board also announced it had renamed the facility the Trump Kennedy Center, a change scholars and lawmakers say must be initiated by Congress, and physically added the president's name to the building's facade.
The fallout from the arts community was swift and intense. Actor Issa Rae, musician Bela Fleck and author Louise Penny were among the numerous artists who withdrew from appearances, while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned. Earlier this month, the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra, Jean Davidson, left to head the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
In addition to voting on the stay on Thursday, the board backed a resolution recognizing Trump's "commitment to uphold this cherished American institution."
