Kennedy Center Removes Trump's Name After Appeals Court Upholds Order, With July 5 Shutdown Warning
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 20
Kennedy Center Removes Trump's Name After Appeals Court Upholds Order, With July 5 Shutdown Warning
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 20
Summary
Workers began stripping Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center after a federal appeals court rejected a last-minute bid to keep the signage in place.
A 94-page order from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper had already barred the center’s planned 2-year renovation closure and said the board must maintain programming and the Kennedy memorial.
Joyce Beatty’s lawyers told the court the Trump-led board is violating that order by not restoring shows and could effectively close the venue as a performing arts center by July 5, 2026.
Kennedy Center lawyers countered that the ruling did not require canceled programming to be immediately rescheduled, though management said it will present reopening options ahead of a mid-July board vote.
The dispute stems from Trump’s 2025 takeover of the board, his installation as chair, and the December vote to add his name to the building alongside John F. Kennedy’s.