Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty announced plans to seek a court order blocking President Donald Trump’s name from being inscribed on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The legal move follows a 20-3 board vote to alter building signage and close the venue for two years.
Board Vote Sparks New Legal Showdown Over Building Signage
Months after a federal judge ordered President Donald Trump’s name removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the institution’s governing board has voted to place it back on the marble facade. The board, which features Trump-appointed allies, voted 20-3 on August 13 to alter the building signage, according to Reuters.
Under the newly approved resolution, the inscription on the building exterior would read The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump
. In addition, the board voted to name the surrounding grounds President Donald J. Trump Plaza
and authorized a two-year closure of the main building.
Democratic U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, who sits on the Kennedy Center board by virtue of her congressional position, condemned the action. In a court filing late Tuesday, Beatty described the board’s decision as naked defiance of prior judicial rulings and announced she will seek a court order by September 8 to halt the changes.
The Legal Battle Before Judge Christopher Cooper
The latest board maneuver revives a legal dispute overseen by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper. In May, Cooper ruled that the board overstepped its authority when it unilaterally renamed the memorial, establishing that only Congress holds the power to change the institution’s name. Following that decision, workers removed Trump’s name from the facade in June, draping a massive white tarp and scaffolding over the front entrance.
The board’s current strategy shifts away from a direct renaming of the institution. Instead, the resolution keeps the official name intact while adding the restoration credit underneath, a distinction that lawyers representing Beatty argue is a transparent effort to circumvent the court’s ruling.
Norm Eisen, a former White House ethics lawyer representing Beatty alongside Nathaniel Zelinsky, sharply criticized the board’s vote, calling the action more of the same, and a show of blatant disrespect to the courts
.
Scaffolding and Tarp Dispute Deepens Suspicion
The physical entrance of the venue has remained covered by scaffolding and a large white tarp for more than two months, prompting debate over the true purpose of the structures. While work crews initially erected the barrier when chipping metal nameplates off the marble facade in June, the equipment has stayed in place long after that removal concluded.
Lawyers representing the Department of Justice told the federal judge that the protective structures must remain to allow workers to perform water testing and structural repairs to the roof, specifically targeting an overhead soffit roughly 20 feet above the scaffolding.
Attorneys for Beatty challenged that explanation in court filings, arguing that the stated engineering justification is a pretextual rationale designed to keep the site altered and frustrate the court’s intent.
Controversial Two-Year Closure Vote
Alongside the signage dispute, the board voted to shut down the center’s main building for two years to accommodate a renovation project valued at roughly $250 million. While the newer Reach building would remain open for limited programming, the closure plan faces renewed legal scrutiny.
Judge Cooper previously blocked an earlier closure attempt by the board, characterizing that initial decision as ill-informed and preordained due to a one-sided presentation of information. However, the court left open the possibility that the board could pursue a closure in the future if it conducted a genuinely independent assessment of its competing obligations.
Next Steps in the Federal Courtroom
Lawyers for the Trump administration stated in joint court filings that they disagree with Beatty’s arguments, maintaining that the record will demonstrate the prudence of the board. Absent court intervention, the newly approved inscriptions and Trump’s returning name could appear on the building as early as September 8, setting up a legal clash before Judge Cooper.
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