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The Kennedy Center board on Friday asked a federal appeals court to temporarily block a judge’s order requiring references to President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the institution’s signage and official materials, as signage bearing Trump’s name remained visible on the building’s facade late Friday afternoon.
In an emergency motion filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the board requested both a stay pending appeal and an immediate administrative stay, arguing that physical changes to the building should not occur before appellate judges review the dispute.
The filing asks the court to issue an administrative stay by 7 p.m. Friday.
Digital observed Friday afternoon that Trump’s name remained mounted on the Kennedy Center facade as of 5:30 p.m. ET, with scaffolding erected around portions of the signage.
Earlier Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper denied the board’s request to pause enforcement of his ruling while the appeal proceeds, finding that the defendants had not demonstrated either a likelihood of success on appeal or irreparable harm.
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People watch construction workers build scaffolding near the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts sign in Washington, D.C. The Kennedy Center board sought an emergency appeal to block a court order requiring the removal of Trump’s name, but a judge denied the request. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The Kennedy Center board argued in its emergency filing that removing and potentially reinstalling signage would force it to incur costs that could not be recovered if it ultimately prevails on appeal.
The board also argued that removing Trump’s name could impair fundraising efforts and create public confusion if the Center’s name changes again following a successful appeal. The motion further contends that the case raises significant questions regarding the board’s authority and whether Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, had standing to bring the lawsuit.
The latest filing stems from Cooper’s May 29 ruling that Congress, not the Kennedy Center board, has authority over the institution’s name. The judge ordered the removal of Trump’s name from physical signage, digital materials and official branding and directed the Center to comply within 14 days.
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Construction workers build scaffolding near the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts sign in Washington, D.C., on Friday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In a lengthy opinion, Cooper wrote that the Kennedy Center’s governing statute “makes crystal clear” that the institution is to be named for President John F. Kennedy and cannot be formally renamed through unilateral board action.
The judge concluded that Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and that only Congress can change it.
The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by Beatty, who serves as an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board.
Following the May 29 decision, Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said the board intended to appeal.
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Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, speaks near scaffolding at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Friday, as construction workers work nearby. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“We will review the decision carefully though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration — a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi told Digital at the time.
“With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place, and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”
Beatty praised the ruling, saying in a statement that the Kennedy Center “belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump.”
Trump’s name was added to the venue in December after a unanimous vote of the board. Signage bearing the president’s name was installed above the existing Kennedy Center lettering shortly afterward.
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As of Friday afternoon, the appeals court had not publicly ruled on the emergency request, leaving unresolved whether Trump’s name would remain in place beyond the court-ordered compliance deadline.
The emergency appeal asks the D.C. Circuit to preserve the status quo while it considers the board’s broader appeal of Cooper’s ruling.
The White House and a representative for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this reporting.
