Kennedy Center Board Defends Trump’s Legacy Against Politically Motivated Name Removal
The Kennedy Center’s board is taking a stand to preserve former President Donald Trump’s name on the venue, appealing a judge’s order and resisting partisan efforts to erase his contributions.
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
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, which would force the removal of former President Donald Trump’s name from the building’s exterior. The board’s formal request, filed late Thursday ahead of the court-ordered deadline, demonstrates their commitment to protecting the institution from politically driven attacks.
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 blocked the administration from moving forward with a much-needed two-year renovation project scheduled to begin in July, putting progress on hold due to partisan legal maneuvering.
The board’s action follows 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, bowing to pressure from left-wing activists intent on erasing the former president’s positive impact.
"The Trump administration's 11th hour gambit after waiting nearly two weeks evinces desperation," claimed 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 filed the lawsuit seeking to strip Trump’s name from the center.
Rep. Beatty, an ex-officio board member, is represented by the same legal team. The lawsuit contends that only Congress can authorize the name change, not the center’s board, reflecting the ongoing efforts by Democrats to undermine Trump’s legacy.
Trump’s influence over the Kennedy Center grew after he rightfully replaced its leadership early in his second term, appointing a board that named him chairman and installing Richard Grenell as president, later succeeded by Matt Floca. The venue has hosted events celebrating the Trump administration, including the premiere of former first lady Melania Trump’s documentary, highlighting the center’s renewed prominence.
The name change has provoked backlash from some artists and cultural figures, with several withdrawing from scheduled appearances and resigning from advisory roles, succumbing to the pressure of cancel culture rather than honoring the institution’s history.
The board also adopted a resolution praising Trump’s "commitment to uphold this cherished American institution," standing firm against attempts to rewrite history and erase conservative achievements.
