Kennedy Center Delays Plan to Re-add Trump Name Until After Labor Day
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The Kennedy Center told a federal court it will not restore President Donald Trump’s name to its façade before Sept. 8, citing ongoing legal disputes and the need for further review of renovation options.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts informed a U.S. District Court that it will postpone any effort to place President Donald Trump’s name on the building’s exterior until after Labor Day. The decision follows a May ruling that the letters bearing Trump’s name were installed illegally and must be removed.
Board members aligned with Trump passed a resolution to rename the plaza and add the former president’s name to the façade, proposing language that would read “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.” The resolution also tied an additional naming clause to a $100 million fundraising target for a Trump-named fund.
Lawyers representing Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex-officio board member, urged Judge Christopher Cooper for an earlier injunction, stating,
"every reason to believe that Defendants will attempt to effectuate some or part of this latest unlawful resolution at the earliest opportunity after September 8."
The Center’s filing indicated that a tarp covering the former letters remains in place to facilitate roof repairs and water testing, without committing to its removal. Management is preparing three renovation scenarios for an upcoming board meeting, ranging from a full two-year closure to limited phased work. An analyst from Delta Consulting Group recommended a complete two-year shutdown as the most cost-effective and safest option, while Beatty’s lawyers argued that the board received key documents only days before the vote and that the process mirrored earlier criticized decisions.
If approved, the full closure would suspend signature events such as the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which would be relocated to off-site venues. The National Symphony Orchestra has already announced a split season across multiple Washington venues.