A federal appeals court on Wednesday denied President Trump's request to stop the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., marking the latest development in ongoing litigation surrounding the prestigious arts venue.
Three judges from the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit — Patricia Millett, Robert Wilkins, and Gregory Katsas — ruled that the president had failed to prove that the arts center would be irreparably injured without Trump's name attached to it. The signage on the building has been covered with tarp and scaffolding since June 13, though the center's current executive director indicated in a court filing last month that Trump's name has already been removed.
The appeals panel addressed Trump's legal team's central arguments in their denial. The judges noted that since Trump's name has already been removed from both the physical building and digital materials, a stay would not prevent the harms claimed by the president's attorneys regarding time and money already spent.
Trump had also argued that removing his name would threaten future fundraising and contribute to the financial decline of the center. The judges found this assertion lacking in substance, writing that Trump had "failed to support this assertion with any specific facts or evidence." They characterized the claims as "conclusory assertions" made by the Kennedy Center's Executive Director Matt Floca in what they described as a "factually unsupported declaration." Floca specializes in physical plant management.
This legal battle stems from litigation filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, against President Trump and the board of the Kennedy Center. The presiding judge in that case, Christopher R. Cooper, has ordered the center to provide a status report on its operation and programming before the end of this month.
As of Wednesday, the Kennedy Center's programming schedule reflects a significantly reduced roster compared to its historical operations. The calendar currently lists outdoor free movie screenings, workshops for children, and five free live performances in July on its Millennium Stage. This represents a substantial departure from the center's typical programming volume — in the past, the Kennedy Center presented over 2,000 arts and education events each year, including free daily Millennium Stage performances.
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the appeals court decision. The ongoing legal proceedings continue to raise questions about the future operations and programming of one of the nation's premier cultural institutions.
