Kennedy Center tells court it won't try to restore Trump's name to the building before Sept. 8

The Kennedy Center has informed a federal court that it will not attempt to restore President Donald Trump's name to the building's facade before September 8, as a new legal dispute surrounding the performing arts venue's future unfolds. In a status report submitted recently, opponents of the move noted that members of the Kennedy Center's Trump-aligned board "appear determined" to disregard a previous court order mandating the removal of Trump's name from the structure.

The Kennedy Center stated it would not proceed with the plans until after Labor Day at the earliest to provide ample time for legal arguments. Lawyers representing Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio board member, urged U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper for a more expedient ruling, contending that "every reason exists to assume that Defendants will attempt to enforce some or all of this newest unlawful resolution as soon as possible after September 8."

A recent board meeting, originally intended to discuss Kennedy Center renovations, unexpectedly shifted focus to adding Trump's name to the building, a move part of a broader effort by the president and his supporters to leave a tangible legacy in Washington, D.C. The board approved a resolution to name the plaza in front of the building after Trump and incorporate his name into the facade, proclaiming "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump."

Beatty also pledged to add reference to the president if the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reached $100 million, with the facade then displaying "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund." The board further endorsed a two-year closure for renovations while some of the institution's signature programs, such as the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, would relocate to off-site venues.

The National Symphony Orchestra announced this week that it would split its upcoming season across six venues in and around Washington. Judge Cooper ruled in May that letters affixed to the building spelling out Trump's name were installed unlawfully and ordered their removal, a decision the administration failed to convince courts to reverse.

Since then, a tarp has covered the area where the letters were once affixed, which has frustrated those seeking to eliminate the president's name from the building. The Kennedy Center made no commitment to removing the tarp in the latest filing, stating that the covering was necessary for "water testing and structural repairs to the roof overhang."

Lawyers for Beatty's office questioned the board's vote this month, echoing Cooper's concerns when he criticized a March vote to shutter the building as "ill-informed and seemingly preordained." Earlier this month, a Delta Consulting Group analyst concluded that a partial closure spanning four years would "increase the length and cost of construction and result in substantial safety concerns."

The analyst "recommended that the Board proceed with a full closure for two years, which would minimize total cost, minimize the amount of time that programming would be subject to interruptions from construction, and best preserve the Center's reputation as a world-class performing-arts venue," the Kennedy Center said. Beatty's lawyers pointed out that materials were provided to the board just two days prior to the meeting, some of which appeared to have been created before Cooper's May ruling and referenced the Kennedy Center's closure initially scheduled to commence on July 6.

The August vote to close the Kennedy Center, Beatty's lawyers argued, "demonstrates the same flaws as the initial vote."