The Kennedy Center informed a federal court that it would not attempt to return President Donald Trump’s name to the building’s facade before at least Sept. 8. The disclosure comes as another legal battle takes shape over the future of the performing arts venue.
Kennedy Center Confirms No Action on Name Facade Before Sept. 8
In a status report filed late Tuesday, opponents of the move stated that members of the LancasterOnline’s Trump-aligned board seem intent
on defying an earlier court order. That previous ruling required the Republican president’s name to be removed from the building.
Board Votes and Proposed Facade Changes
District Judge Christopher Cooper previously ruled in May that letters affixed to the building spelling out Trump’s name were added illegally and ordered their removal according to court records. The administration failed to persuade higher courts to overturn that decision. Since then, a tarp has covered the area where the letters were once installed.
A board meeting this month, initially expected to focus on renovation closure options, turned into a push to reattach the name. The board passed a resolution to name the front plaza after Trump and alter the facade to read The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.
Additionally, the board agreed to add an extra reference if the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reached $100 million. In that scenario, the inscription would read The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.
Renovation Closure and Programming Impacts
Alongside the naming dispute, the board voted to back a two-year closure for renovations. Signature programming, including the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, will relocate to off-site locations. Meanwhile, the National Symphony Orchestra announced it will split its upcoming season across six venues in and around Washington.
Opponents’ lawyers pointed out that materials for the August meeting were provided to the board just two days prior, with some documents appearing to have been created before Cooper’s May ruling. Beatty’s lawyers argued that the August vote to close the center exhibits the same flaws as the first vote,
echoing concerns previously raised by The Washington Post when he labeled a March vote to shutter the building ill-informed and seemingly preordained.
Status of the Tarp and Ongoing Legal Scrutiny
In its recent filing, the Kennedy Center made no commitment to remove the tarp currently covering the facade. Management stated the covering remains in place to facilitate the removal of Trump’s name and serves as part of a broader system required for water testing and structural repairs to the roof overhang.
Lawyers for the opposition have urged Judge Cooper to take action, arguing there is every reason to believe that Defendants will attempt to effectuate some or part of this latest unlawful resolution at the earliest opportunity after September 8.
