On Wednesday, a federal appeals court rejected President Trump’s request to prevent the removal of his name from Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center. The center’s signage has been obscured by tarp and scaffolding since June 13. According to a court filing from last month, its executive director confirmed that Trump’s name was already removed.
The decision involved three judges from the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. They determined that Trump failed to demonstrate any ‘irreparable injury’ to the arts center without his name.
NPR sought comments from the Kennedy Center but did not receive a prompt response. Trump’s legal team argued that removing his name inflicted irreparable damage due to time and money already spent, affecting both the building’s facade and digital materials.
The judges in the denial — Patricia Millett, Robert Wilkins, and Gregory Katsas — noted that since the name was already removed, ‘a stay would not avert those harms.’ Trump also argued that future fundraising would suffer, impacting the center’s finances negatively. Yet, the appeals judges stated that this claim lacked specific facts or evidence, relying solely on unsupported statements from the Kennedy Center’s Executive Director.
Matt Floca, the current executive director, focuses on managing the physical operations of the center. This court decision is part of ongoing litigation filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty against Trump and the Kennedy Center’s board. The presiding judge, Christopher R. Cooper, requested a status update on the center’s operations and programming by the end of the month.
As of Wednesday, the center’s schedule included limited programs, such as outdoor movie screenings, children’s workshops, and free live performances on the Millennium Stage in July. Historically, the Kennedy Center hosted over 2,000 arts and educational events annually, including daily free performances.
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