Kennedy Center Tells Court It Won't Try to Restore Trump's Name to the Building Before Sept. 8
The board says the covering is needed for water testing, while Rep. Joyce Beatty says it has hidden the restored Kennedy name for more than two months.
- On Tuesday, Department of Justice attorneys told the court that a tarp covering the Kennedy Center facade is necessary for "water testing and structural repairs to the roof overhang."
- During an August 13 meeting, the board approved a two-year closure for renovations based on a presentation provided to members just 48 hours before the vote, prompting Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and board member, to challenge the integrity of the decision.
- The board resolved to carve "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump" below President John F. Kennedy's name on the facade, while Beatty's lawyers called a related fundraising fund that claws back donations a "contemptuous poison pill."
- Renovation plans are delayed until after Labor Day at the earliest to allow time for legal arguments, while the National Symphony Orchestra announced it will split its upcoming season across six venues.
- U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who previously blocked the renaming as unlawful, continues to oversee the dispute, noting that courts are "not required to exhibit a naivety from which ordinary citizens are free.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Kennedy Center Voted To Return Trump's Name To Three Different Spots
When the board of the Kennedy Center met last week to decide on the future of the complex, they took up a resolution to restore Donald Trump’s name to the front facade of the complex. The vote by the Trump-controlled board was not just one designation for the president, but three. According to a copy […]
Kennedy Center tells court it won't try to restore Trump's name to the building before Sept. 8
The Kennedy Center has told 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 as another legal battle over the performing arts venue’s future takes shape.
'Hide their Embarrassment': Kennedy Center excuse for Trump tarp stuns in court
The Kennedy Center told a federal court its tarp is needed for water testing, but Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) says the real motive is to "hide their embarrassment."The claim came Tuesday in a joint status report filed in U.S. District Court, where U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper had ordered the center to explain why a tarp has covered its facade for more than two months.Beatty, a Democratic congresswoman, Kennedy Center board member, and the…
Kennedy Center tells court it won't restore Trump's name to the building before Sept. 8
Scaffolding and a large protective tarp is covering part of the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on August 13, 2026. US President Donald Trump has sought to burnish his legacy by getting his name and image placed on everything, from limited edition passports to a Florida airport. His efforts to put his stamp on the Kennedy Center arts complex in Washington — blocked earlier this year by a federal ju…
The Kennedy Center board votes to close for two years and add Trump's name back
The Kennedy Center board voted last week to close the building for two years of renovations and to add President Trump's name to the facade, defying a federal court order from May. The Atlantic's Janay Kingsberry explains what changes audiences can expect.
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