President Trump’s name was taken off the Kennedy Center on Saturday, June 13, ending a legal fight over whether he could put his brand on the nation’s premier performing arts venue.
Lawyers for the Trump administration filed a notice of compliance around 11 a.m. Saturday, saying the changes were complete.
Court Order Forces Removal of Trump Name From Kennedy Center
They removed physical signage that named the center after Trump, updated the official website, and pulled back trademark applications tied to the new name.
Charles Matthew Floca, the center’s executive director, signed a declaration confirming the work was done.
Photos from the scene showed a large tarp covering the spot where Trump’s name had been displayed on the front of the building, along with parts of the remaining title. It was not immediately clear how long the tarp would stay up.
The move came after federal courts turned back last-minute efforts to keep the name in place. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper had ruled last month that only Congress can change the official name of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
He ordered the Trump name removed by the end of the day Friday, June 12.
Appeals Court Rejects Emergency Request to Keep Name
On Friday, Cooper rejected the administration’s request for a stay while it appeals. The Kennedy Center then asked for a short extension until noon Saturday because of storms that delayed the work. The court granted that request.
The administration also took its case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. In an emergency filing, government lawyers argued it made no sense to change the name now only to possibly put it back later if they win on appeal.
A three-judge panel turned down the immediate stay request late Friday. The panel included two judges appointed by President Obama and one by Trump. The court ordered regular briefing instead.
The dispute started after the Kennedy Center’s board, which Trump reshaped with allies after taking office, voted in December to add his name.
The center was rebranded as the Trump-Kennedy Center. Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who serves on the board, sued to block the change and the planned two-year closure for major renovations.
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Cooper sided with Beatty in May. He ruled the name addition was illegal and also stopped the long shutdown.
In their appeal filing, administration lawyers warned that removing the name could hurt fundraising. They said some donors gave money specifically because of Trump’s involvement.
“Without the name ‘Trump’ on the Building, our fundraising will not only come to a halt, but any and all monies raised or committed would be obligated to be returned, refunded, or terminated,” the filing said.
They also echoed Trump’s own criticism of the current building, calling it outdated and unsightly. The completed renovation, they argued, would make it “the envy of the World.”
Beatty’s legal team fired back in a 12-page response Friday; they called the last-minute appeal a “frivolous stay request” meant to “jam the Court.”
Also Read: Judge Orders Trump’s Name Stripped from Kennedy Center Within 14 Days
“There is no reason they should not finish complying with the district court’s order, as they have been planning for the past two weeks,” Beatty’s lawyers wrote. If the appeals court later allows the name back, they noted, it could be restored.
The Kennedy Center was created by Congress as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. It hosts performances, education programs, and national events on its Potomac River campus.
The board’s push to add Trump’s name came after he replaced several Democratic-appointed trustees with administration officials and allies.
Staff at the center had already begun internal work to revert the name earlier this month, according to a memo obtained by CBS News.
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