The Kennedy Center board is asking an appeals court to block the removal of Trump’s name
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The Kennedy Center’s board on Friday asked an appeals court to temporarily block a judge’s order requiring references to President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the center’s signs and official property, as signs bearing Trump’s name were still visible on the building’s facade late Friday afternoon.
In an emergency decision filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the board asked for both a stay pending an appeal and a waiver of oversight, arguing that material changes to the building should not occur before appellate judges review the dispute.
The lawsuit asks the court to issue an administrative request at 7pm on Friday.
Fox News Digital noted Friday afternoon that Trump’s name remained plastered at the Kennedy Center as of 5:30 p.m. ET, scaffolding parts of the sign.
Earlier on Friday, US District Judge Christopher Cooper rejected the board’s request to stay its decision pending an appeal, finding that the defendants had not shown any likelihood of success on appeal or irreparable harm.
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People watch as construction workers build scaffolding near the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts sign in Washington, DC The board of the Kennedy Center sought an emergency appeal to block a court order requiring Trump’s name to be removed, but a judge denied the request. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The Kennedy Center’s board argued in its emergency filing that removing and reinstalling the signs would force it to incur costs that would not be recoverable if it ultimately prevails on appeal.
The board also said removing Trump’s name could disrupt fundraising efforts and create public confusion if the Center’s name changes again following a successful petition. The motion also says the lawsuit raises important questions about the board’s jurisdiction and whether Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, had standing to bring the lawsuit.
The latest filing comes from Cooper’s May 29 ruling that Congress, not the Kennedy Center board, has authority over the center’s name. The judge ordered the removal of Trump’s name from physical signs, digital materials and official branding and ordered 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 in Washington, DC, on Friday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In a lengthy opinion, Cooper wrote that the Kennedy Center’s charter “makes clear” that the center will be named after President John F. Kennedy and cannot be officially renamed by joint board action.
The judge concluded that Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and that only Congress could change it.
The decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Beatty, who serves as a board member of the Kennedy Center.
After the May 29 decision, the Kennedy Center’s Vice President for Public Relations, Roma Daravi, said the board intends to appeal the case.
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Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, speaks next to scaffolding at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on Friday, as construction workers work nearby. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“We will review the decision carefully although the fact remains – the Center needs urgent and important restoration – a fact that agrees with the plaintiff,” Daravi told Fox News Digital at the time.
“With $257 million secured by President Trump and authorized by Congress, resources are available, and we remain committed to following all legal procedures to ensure that the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”
Beatty praised this decision, saying in a statement that the Kennedy Center “belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump.”
Trump’s name was added to the site in December after a unanimous vote by the board. Signs bearing the president’s name were placed above the existing names at the Kennedy Center shortly thereafter.
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As of Friday afternoon, the appeals court had not publicly ruled on the emergency motion, leaving it unresolved whether Trump’s name will remain in place beyond the court’s compliance deadline.
The urgent appeal asks the D.C. Circuit to maintain the status quo while it considers the board’s broader appeal of the Cooper decision.
The White House and a representative for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
