Kennedy Center Won't Restore Trump Name to Facade Before Sept. 8

The Kennedy Center told a federal court late Tuesday that it will not attempt to return President Donald Trump's name to the building's facade before at least September 8, as a new legal battle over the venue's future unfolds.

In a status report, opponents of the move said members of the Kennedy Center's Trump-aligned board "seem intent" on defying an earlier court order requiring the president's name to be removed. The Kennedy Center said it would not proceed with its plans until after Labor Day "at the earliest" to allow time for legal arguments.

Lawyers for Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves as an ex officio board member, urged U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to rule quickly, arguing there is "every reason to believe" the defendants will try to carry out the board's latest resolution as soon as possible after September 8.

A board meeting this month, expected to focus mainly on renovation closure options, instead became another push to attach Trump's name to the building. The board passed a resolution to name the plaza in front of the building after Trump and add his name to the facade so it would read "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump." Beatty's filing said the board also agreed to add a further reference if the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reaches $100 million, which would append "Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund" to the inscription.

The board also voted to back a two-year closure for renovations, with signature programming such as the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor moving to off-site locations. The National Symphony Orchestra has already announced it will split its coming season across six venues around Washington.

Cooper ruled in May that letters spelling out Trump's name had been added illegally and ordered their removal, a decision the administration failed to overturn on appeal. A tarp has since covered the area, and the Kennedy Center made no commitment in its latest filing to remove it, saying the covering supports water testing and structural roof repairs.

Beatty's lawyers also questioned the integrity of the August vote, echoing Cooper's earlier description of a March vote as "ill-informed and seemingly preordained." They said board materials were provided just two days before the meeting and appeared to have been drafted before Cooper's May ruling.