A federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration's request to pause the removal of Donald Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, dealing another blow to the president's efforts to restore his name to the iconic venue.
Court ruling and background
The decision by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied an emergency motion from the Trump administration to stay a lower court's order. That order, issued in May by US District Judge Christopher Cooper, required the removal of Trump's name from the facade and signage, and also blocked Trump's plans to close the center for two years of renovations starting on 4 July.
Workers pried Trump's name from the Kennedy Center's facade last month, weeks after the lower court ruling. The removal was part of a lawsuit brought by Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, a Kennedy Center board member, who challenged the Trump administration's control over the institution.
Appeals panel unanimous
The unsigned appeals court order stated that the administration had not backed up its claim that removing Trump's name would harm fundraising efforts "with any specific facts or evidence." The panel included two judges appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama—Circuit Judges Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins—and one appointed by Trump during his first term, Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas. The panel was unanimous in its decision.
This marks the second time the same appellate panel has declined to intervene on Trump's behalf. The judges had earlier rejected an emergency "administrative" request to pause the removal ahead of the deadline set by Cooper in June.
Impact and ongoing dispute
Although the lettering bearing Trump's name has been removed, scaffolding and tarp erected ahead of the works have remained in place for weeks, obscuring the facade. Cooper has since demanded that the Kennedy Center explain why the covering has not been taken down.
The Trump administration argued that the removal would harm fundraising and contribute to the financial decline of the center. However, the appeals court also barred the administration from asserting that a new entity called the Trump Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Foundation would have to return money if the president's name is not restored.
Since Trump took control of the Kennedy Center's board, several artists have withdrawn from scheduled performances and ticket sales have fallen, according to reporting at the time of the renaming dispute. The White House had no immediate comment, and representatives for Beatty did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The appeals court ruling was not on the merits of the case, and Trump's appeal can continue.
