Kennedy Center Trump inscription vote revives questions over court order
The board reportedly approved a Trump restoration inscription and a new renovation closure plan after a judge barred formal renaming.
By Theo Nakamura · Staff Writer
· 3 min read
The Kennedy Center Trump inscription vote could put the Washington performing-arts venue back before a federal judge. The board reportedly approved text crediting President Donald Trump with restoring and renovating the building, months after a court required the removal of Trump-name branding from the facade and other official materials.
According to CNBC, which cited Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, and her lawyers, the new facade would read: “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.” The reported action does not formally rename the institution, a distinction central to the earlier ruling.
Beatty, an ex officio board member who sued over the prior changes, called the vote “a transparent effort to circumvent” the court’s decision and said she would keep fighting for the center. Her lawyers said the board would have to answer for the new action in court, but the available reporting does not show that a new lawsuit has been filed or that a judge has assessed the proposed inscription.
What did the Kennedy Center board vote to do?
The board also voted to close the main building for renovations, Forbes reported, while keeping the Reach, a smaller part of the complex, open for limited programming and as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. CNBC reported the board voted to rename the outdoor site the President Donald J. Trump Plaza. Other reporting described that plaza designation as a proposal contemplated in the resolution.
The closure plan carries its own legal history. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked an earlier proposed two-year shutdown, finding the decision was based on a one-sided presentation and did not adequately account for the center’s legal obligations, according to Forbes.
The legal backdrop
On May 29, Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center could not add Trump’s name to its formal name without congressional action. As the judge put it, Congress gave the center its name and only Congress can change it, according to CNBC. The order required Trump’s name to be taken off physical and digital signage and official materials within 14 days.
The prior lettering was removed in June. PBS NewsHour, reporting an Associated Press account, said Kennedy Center executive director and chief operating officer Matt Floca told the court that all building and grounds signage purporting to rename the venue after Trump had been removed. A reporter also saw that the Trump-name letters were no longer attached to the building.
The Kennedy Center is appealing Cooper’s decision, Forbes reported. That appeal concerns the earlier order, while the newly reported inscription has not received a court ruling in the material available. The inscription and any Trump Plaza designation may raise further questions under the May decision if Beatty or other challengers seek additional court action.
A White House spokesperson told MS NOW that, under Trump’s leadership, the Kennedy Center was on its way to becoming a leading cultural institution. That is the administration’s position; the legal status of the board’s August actions remains unresolved.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
