Trump’s name poised to be removed from Kennedy Center
A judge has cleared the way for US President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the Kennedy Center’s exterior, rejecting a last-minute request from the institution’s board of directors to keep the name in place.
Workers were seen building scaffolding around a section of the building Friday that includes the president’s name, as storms gathered near Washington ahead of a court-imposed deadline to remove references to Trump.
As Trump’s name approached removal, a crowd gathered nearby and applauded his work.
But the Kennedy Center’s leadership has not given up on its legal efforts to keep Trump’s name in place. The institution rejected the request for stay of execution, objected to the decision and requested the court to take action until 19:00.
“This objection raises serious questions about the validity of Article III and the powers of the Central Executive Board,” the application said.
“Major physical changes to the Center must await the Court’s resolution of these matters; as a matter of equity, it does not make sense to change the name and signage of the Center now, only to potentially revert the name following a successful appeal.”
In May, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that Trump’s name was illegally added to the iconic performing arts facility in Washington and ordered it removed by Friday. Late Thursday, Trump’s hand-picked board of directors at the Center made a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the iconic performing arts facility, but Cooper rejected the request.
A June 4 memo to Kennedy Center Office of General Counsel staff said email signatures, letterheads and other documents should reflect the name “John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”
Trump’s name was not listed on the Kennedy Center’s website. And an earlier email to members offering ticket packages for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony on June 28 came from the Kennedy Center without Trump’s name.
Trump, who ignored the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, wielded enormous 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 who appointed him president.
In his previous decision, Cooper also prevented the administration from closing the culture and arts venue for major renovations planned to begin in July and last two years.
