Kennedy Center Removes Trump Name by Noon After Court Rejects Bid to Keep It
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Jun 13
Kennedy Center Removes Trump Name by Noon After Court Rejects Bid to Keep It
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jun 13
Summary
Construction crews stripped Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center facade early Saturday, and a center official told a federal judge all references inside, outside and online were removed by the noon deadline.
Judge Christopher Cooper had ruled on May 29 that the board lacked authority to rename the building, writing that only Congress can change the Kennedy Center’s name.
A federal appeals court denied the center’s late request to pause the order after the Justice Department sought a 12-hour delay over thunderstorms and the center made a last-ditch filing Thursday.
That filing argued removing Trump’s name could force the return of hundreds of millions of dollars tied to donor commitments under an undisclosed bylaw change, a claim the center did not detail and Beatty’s lawyers called meritless.
The ruling also blocked Trump’s board from pursuing a planned two-year closure for renovations, underscoring broader judicial limits on the board’s effort to remake the venue.