The board appointed by Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center is making a last-ditch effort to retain his name on the facade of the renowned performing arts venue, defying a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday.
On Thursday, the board voted to seek a stay of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s May 29 ruling, which declared that Trump’s name had been illegally affixed to the Kennedy Center.
This decision, confirmed by an anonymous source familiar with the private meeting, led to a formal request filed late Thursday.
Judge Cooper’s ruling stipulated that only Congress possesses the authority to alter the Kennedy Center’s name and mandated the removal of all references to Trump by Friday.
The judge also blocked the administration’s plans to close the cultural institution for two years of major renovations, slated to begin in July.
This move by the board marks a significant reversal from a June 4 memo issued by the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel to staff, which instructed that email signatures, letterhead, and other official documents must reflect the name as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”
The institution’s website has already removed Trump’s name, and recent communications, including an email offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony, omitted any mention of him.
Norm Eisen, a board member at Democracy Defenders Action, and Nathaniel Zelinsky, senior counsel at the Washington Litigation Group, criticized the board’s action.
“The Trump administration’s 11th hour gambit after waiting nearly two weeks evinces desperation,” they stated.
“That is what they should be feeling because they don’t have a legal leg to stand on. We will be vigorously contesting this latest ploy as we have throughout the case on behalf of Congresswoman Beatty and the American people.”
They represent Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex officio board member who initiated the lawsuit to remove Trump’s name.
After largely overlooking the Kennedy Center during his initial term, Donald Trump exerted considerable influence upon his return to office.
Within a month of his second term, he replaced the center’s previous leadership with a hand-picked board of trustees, naming himself chairman.
Richard Grenell was brought in as president, a role he held until March when Matt Floca assumed the position.
The center’s programming subsequently featured more Trump-friendly events, such as the premiere of Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania.”
The board also announced it had renamed the facility the Trump Kennedy Center, a change that scholars and lawmakers argue requires congressional approval, and physically added Trump’s name to the building’s facade.
The arts community reacted swiftly and intensely.
Actor Issa Rae, musician Bela Fleck, and author Louise Penny were among many artists who withdrew from appearances, while consultants like musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned.
Earlier this month, Jean Davidson, executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra, departed to lead the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.
In addition to voting on the stay Thursday, the board also passed a resolution acknowledging Trump’s “commitment to uphold this cherished American institution.”
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