In a last-minute push, the board appointed by President Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center is attempting to retain his name on the building’s facade, facing a deadline imposed by a court to remove it by Friday.
On Thursday, the board decided to request a suspension of a U.S. District Judge’s ruling from May 29, which declared that Trump’s name was added to the Kennedy Center unlawfully. This move was disclosed by an insider familiar with the private meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The formal appeal was submitted late Thursday.
Judge Christopher Cooper determined that only Congress has the authority to change the Kennedy Center’s name, mandating the removal of Trump’s name by Friday. Additionally, he halted plans by the administration to close the venue for extensive renovations, initially scheduled to commence in July and span two years.
This board decision contrasts with a June 4 memo from the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel, which instructed staff to use “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or simply “Kennedy Center” in email signatures, letterhead, and other official documents.
Notably, the Kennedy Center’s website has already omitted Trump’s name. An email distributed earlier this week to members, promoting ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony, was sent from the Kennedy Center without mentioning Trump.
“The Trump administration’s 11th hour gambit after waiting nearly two weeks evinces desperation,” Norm Eisen, a board member at Democracy Defenders Action, and Nathaniel Zelinsky, senior counsel at the Washington Litigation Group, said in a statement. “That is what they should be feeling because they don’t have a legal leg to stand on. We will be vigorously contesting this latest ploy as we have throughout the case on behalf of Congresswoman Beatty and the American people.”
They represent Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board who filed the lawsuit seeking to remove Trump’s name from the institution.
After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he ousted the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a hand-picked board of trustees that named him chairman. He brought in Richard Grenell to serve as president, a position he held until March when Matt Floca assumed the role.
The center’s lineup has included more Trump-friendly programming, serving as the venue for events such as the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania.”
The board also announced it had renamed the facility the Trump Kennedy Center, a change scholars and lawmakers say must be initiated by Congress, and physically added the president’s name to the building’s facade.
The fallout from the arts community was swift and intense. Actor Issa Rae, musician Bela Fleck and author Louise Penny were among the numerous artists who withdrew from appearances, while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned. Earlier this month, the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra, Jean Davidson, left to head the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
In addition to voting on the stay on Thursday, the board backed a resolution recognizing Trump’s “commitment to uphold this cherished American institution.”
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