A recent decision by a three-judge panel has determined that Donald Trump is not allowed to reattach his name to the Kennedy Center while an appeal regarding its removal is in progress.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied a request from the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, led by Trump, to maintain the president’s name on the establishment during the appeal against a previous ruling mandating its removal.
Earlier this year, the institution was renamed The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a change deemed unlawful by US District Judge Christopher Cooper in May. Cooper stated that only Congress holds the authority to rename the center and instructed the removal of Trump’s name.
Following unsuccessful attempts to challenge the ruling, the Trump administration complied, resulting in the removal of the president’s name from the building’s façade and signage. Although the alteration was made last month, it is currently concealed from public view behind a tarp.
In their ruling on Wednesday, the panel of judges stated that the board’s plea failed to demonstrate how they would suffer irreversible harm if Trump’s name remained off the building throughout the appeal process.
The board contended that the removal could hinder fundraising efforts; however, the judges noted that this assertion lacked specific facts or evidence to support it.
Upon assuming office in 2025, Trump replaced the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, who later appointed him as chairman.
The lawsuit was initiated by Joyce Beatty, a Democratic representative from Ohio and a member of the Kennedy Center board.
In response to the latest ruling, Congresswoman Beatty remarked, “Today’s ruling once again confirms that this administration’s actions to rename the Kennedy Center were illegal.” She further urged the Trump administration to acknowledge the ruling, adhere to the law, and remove the tarps covering the change.
In a previous incident, spectators gathered at the center in anticipation of the dramatic moment when the signage was to be taken down, but their view was obstructed by a tarp hanging over the scaffolding used for the removal process.
