A federal court received an urgent request from Representative Joyce Beatty to prevent the Kennedy Center from returning former President Donald Trump’s name to the building. The Kennedy Center’s board, which aligns with Trump, voted earlier to inscribe his name on the venue, resulting in the text: “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.” Additionally, a second inscription would recognize the Trump Kennedy Center Fund if it reaches a $100 million endowment. The plaza in front of the center would acknowledge Trump as well.
The Kennedy Center delayed any plans to engrave Trump’s name before September 8, to allow for ongoing legal proceedings. Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center, spearheaded this campaign. Her lawyers, Norm Eisen and Nathaniel Zelinsky, argued that the board’s actions breached a previous court ruling.
The Kennedy Center has not offered a comment on the matter. The resolution passed by Trump supporters on the board claimed that without Trump’s fundraising efforts and development skills, the center would face financial difficulties. In 1964, Congress designated the center as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, prohibiting a memorial to anyone else or adding another name on its exterior.
In May, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper determined that the Kennedy Center improperly added Trump’s name, mandating its removal. The center complied in June but left a tarp and scaffolding where Trump’s name had been. The center’s lawyers did not commit to removing the scaffolding, citing ongoing water and structural tests on the roof.