A judge has ordered the removal of Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, rejecting an appeal to pause the deadline. The Kennedy Center is running out of options to keep Trump's name on the iconic venue.
Key points
A judge ordered the removal of Trump's name from the Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center's appeal to pause the removal was rejected
The deadline for removal was set for Friday
The Kennedy Center is running out of options to keep Trump's name
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Kennedy CenterDonald Trump
Workers construct scaffolding below the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign on Friday in Washington.
Workers construct scaffolding below the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign on Friday in Washington.
Rahmat Gul/AP
Rahmat Gul/AP
WASHINGTON — The Kennedy Center was running out of options Friday evening to keep President Donald Trump's name on the facade of the iconic performing arts venue.
A judge earlier in the afternoon rejected a request to pause a court-ordered deadline of Friday to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the Kennedy Center's operations. The institution appealed that ruling, an effort that was also rebuffed Friday evening.
Scaffolding was erected earlier in the day around a section of the building that includes Trump's name, though there was no effort to remove it by 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Storms with lightning were dancing around Washington, adding to the challenge for workers.
Q&A
Why is Donald Trump's name being removed from the Kennedy Center?
Donald Trump's name is being removed due to a court order that rejected an appeal to pause the deadline for its removal.
What did the judge rule regarding the Kennedy Center's appeal?
The judge rejected the Kennedy Center's request to pause the court-ordered deadline for removing Trump's name.
What are the implications of removing Trump's name from the Kennedy Center?
Removing Trump's name may impact the venue's branding and its historical associations, as well as ongoing public and political discourse.
When is the deadline for the Kennedy Center to remove Trump's name?
The deadline for the Kennedy Center to remove references to Donald Trump was set for Friday, as ordered by the court.
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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 board of trustees that named him chairman. Trump's name was quickly added to the building.
In his ruling that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Center's name, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper 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.
The Kennedy Center's leadership argued in its appeal Friday that the renovation was badly needed and accused the lower court, in terms that seemed similar to Trump's speech patterns, of interfering in the effort.
"The District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below," according to the appeal. "Indeed, total collapse!"
Even as the Kennedy Center has fought efforts to remove Trump's name from the building, it has taken steps to comply with Cooper's initial ruling.
A June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center's Office of General Counsel said 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 Trump's name. And an earlier email 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.
