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It's another setback for the board of trustees, of which Trump
is chairman, in a saga that began earlier this year when the
Kennedy Center became: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F.
Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The conspicuous addition, and ensuing legal battle, became
symbolic of Trump’s broader push to imprint his legacy — and, in
this case, his actual name — on the nation's capital in his
final term.
The panel of judges wrote Wednesday that the board of trustee's
request "failed to show how they will be irreparably injured” if
Trump's name remains off the building through the appeal
process.
The board had argued that the removal “threatens to impede"
fundraising efforts, but the judges found that claim came
without the support of “specific facts or evidence.”
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to an emailed
request for comment.
“His name no longer desecrates this sacred memorial, which
belongs to the American people,” said U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a
Democrat from Ohio who filed the lawsuit. "Now it is time for
the Trump administration to accept this, comply with the law,
and take the tarps down.”
She was referring to tarps hung on scaffolding that had obscured
the removal of Trump's name, and which still veil that part of
the building's marble facade.
When Trump first took office in 2025, he replaced the Kennedy
Center's board of trustees, who then named him chairman. His
name was quickly added to the building. A federal judge then
ruled that the name change was illegal, prompting the ensuing
legal battle.
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