Kennedy Center Board Fights to Preserve Trump’s Name, Defying Calls for Accountability
The Kennedy Center’s board has appealed a federal judge’s order to remove Donald Trump’s name from the venue, prioritizing the legacy of a divisive former president over the voices of artists and the public.
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The board of trustees at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted Thursday to request a stay of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s May 29 order demanding the removal of former President Donald Trump’s name from the building’s exterior. This formal request, filed late Thursday just before the court-ordered deadline, signals the board’s resistance to much-needed change.
Judge Cooper had ruled that only Congress could authorize a name change for the center and ordered all references to Trump be removed by Friday. He also halted a planned two-year renovation project, set to begin in July, which had been closely associated with Trump’s controversial influence over the institution.
The board’s move comes after a June 4 memorandum from the center’s Office of General Counsel, which directed staff to use the name "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" or simply "Kennedy Center" in official communications. The center’s website and recent email invitations have already omitted Trump’s name, reflecting the growing discomfort with honoring a president whose administration was marked by attacks on the arts and democratic norms.
"The Trump administration's 11th hour gambit after waiting nearly two weeks evinces desperation," said Norm Eisen, a board member of Democracy Defenders Action, and Nathaniel Zelinsky, senior counsel at the Washington Litigation Group, in a statement on behalf of Rep. Joyce Beatty, who courageously filed the lawsuit seeking the name’s removal.
Rep. Beatty, an ex-officio board member, is represented by the same legal team. The lawsuit argues that the name change must be enacted by Congress, not by the center’s board, highlighting the need for democratic oversight rather than backroom deals.
Trump’s grip on the Kennedy Center tightened after he replaced its leadership early in his second term, stacking the board with loyalists who named him chairman and installed Richard Grenell as president, later succeeded by Matt Floca. The venue became a stage for Trump administration events, including the premiere of former first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, further politicizing a space meant for cultural unity.
The decision to keep Trump’s name has sparked outrage among artists and cultural figures, many of whom have withdrawn from scheduled appearances and resigned from advisory roles in protest of the board’s refusal to break with a divisive legacy.
Yet, the board also adopted a resolution lauding Trump’s so-called "commitment to uphold this cherished American institution," ignoring the widespread calls for accountability and change.
