A judge is questioning the Kennedy Center’s plan to inscribe former President Donald Trump’s name on the building’s facade by September 8, despite a prior ruling that found the initial addition of his name to be illegal. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper pressed Trump administration lawyer Bradley Mayers on the urgency of the September 8 date during a Thursday hearing, asking, “What’s magic about that date?” Mayers responded that the timeline aligned with a vote earlier this month by the Kennedy Center’s board, which is composed of Trump-aligned members.
The board voted to inscribe “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump” on the venue’s facade, and to add a second inscription reading “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund” if the fund reaches $100 million. The plaza in front of the Kennedy Center would also be renamed in Trump’s honor. The government’s lawyer argued these moves constitute a recognition of Trump, not a renaming, and noted the institution is no longer branding itself as the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
Judge Cooper also questioned whether he had the authority to block the inscription efforts given the administration’s appeal of his May ruling. He pressed a lawyer for Rep. Joyce Beatty on the scope of his jurisdiction. The Kennedy Center’s efforts to add Trump’s name come after Cooper ruled in May that the initial addition was illegal, ordering its removal. The Trump administration has continued to pursue ways to honor the former president at the venue. Al Jazeera reported that administration officials threatened to demolish the Kennedy Center if renovations do not go through, warning it would become “decrepit” without the board’s interventions, though Cooper rejected the idea that court orders were preventing repairs. Trump has also pursued other efforts to reshape Washington, D.C., including demolishing the East Wing of the White House and planning a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
Read the original coverage
💬 Comments
📜 Comment Policy