Federal judge reviews emergency request to block Kennedy Center board's plan to re-inscribe Trump name
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper heard arguments from Rep. Joyce Beatty’s lawyers and the Justice Department on whether the Kennedy Center board can add President Donald Trump’s name to the building’s facade, a move the plaintiffs say violates federal law.
Washington – A federal judge on Thursday heard emergency arguments from Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty and the Justice Department concerning a recent resolution by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ board of trustees to place President Donald J. Trump’s name on the center’s exterior. Beatty’s counsel, Nathaniel Zelinsky, said the board’s vote to add the inscription "Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump" and to name the grounds "President Donald J. Trump Plaza" violates a prior court order that removed Trump’s name from the façade.
Judge Christopher Cooper quickly convened the hearing but did not issue an immediate ruling. He questioned Justice Department attorney Brantley Mayers about the board’s accelerated timeline, asking, "What does that have to do with what Congress intended?" After the hearing, the Justice Department filed a brief indicating the board would postpone any action until Oct. 8, a month later than the originally proposed Sept. 8 date.
The board, chaired by Trump and composed of his appointees, had earlier approved the resolution that also calls for an inscription "Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund" if a $100 million fundraising goal is met. Zelinsky characterized the move as a repeat of actions previously barred by the court, calling it an "attempt to end-run" the earlier order.
The Justice Department argued that the Kennedy Center faces severe structural and financial challenges that could require a two-year closure for renovations, and that the proposed naming is tied to fundraising efforts. Mayers responded that the board’s actions are not a renaming but a fundraising strategy, noting Trump’s success as a donor.
Judge Cooper reminded both sides that his earlier ruling held that only Congress may change the center’s name, and he asked whether the case remains within his jurisdiction after the Trump administration appealed that decision. No final decision was rendered during the hearing.