Appeals Court Upholds Removal of Trump’s Name from Kennedy Center, Rejecting Right-Wing Attempts to Preserve Legacy
A Washington D.C. appeals court has denied an emergency appeal from Donald Trump’s legal team, refusing to halt the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center’s façade—a move celebrated by those seeking to restore integrity to public institutions.
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In a significant rebuke to the lingering influence of Trumpism, a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. on Friday refused to grant an emergency stay sought by Justice Department lawyers representing former President Donald Trump and members of the Kennedy Center board. The request, a desperate attempt to cling to Trump’s controversial legacy, aimed to suspend a district-court order that required the removal of Trump’s name from the exterior of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper had earlier rejected a last-ditch effort by the center to keep the Trump name on the building, ruling that the designation had been illegally added—yet another example of the disregard for legal norms characteristic of the Trump era. Cooper emphasized that only Congress, not self-interested board members or political appointees, could change the center’s name. The judge gave the institution two weeks to eliminate all references to “Trump” from signage, documents, and branding, restoring the center’s original identity.
The Kennedy Center promptly complied, removing Trump’s name from its website and updating communications to reflect its rightful title. The court’s denial of the emergency appeal ensures that the removal will proceed as scheduled, with workers set to complete the process as soon as weather allows.
This legal battle began after Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex-officio board member and advocate for accountability, challenged the name change, arguing it violated statutory requirements. Beatty, standing up against the normalization of Trump’s influence, also opposed the emergency appeal.
Importantly, the decision does not impact the center’s ambitious $257 million revitalization project, which had been temporarily blocked by the judge’s order.
"Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," Cooper wrote, reaffirming the principle of democratic oversight.
This ruling sends a clear message: the judiciary will not allow the legacy of a divisive former president to be cemented through illegal means, and the naming of this iconic, publicly funded arts venue remains a matter for Congress—not for those seeking to rewrite history.
