WASHINGTON – In a recent court filing, the administration of President Donald Trump contended that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts may eventually face demolition if significant repairs are not conducted. This assertion comes as the administration defends its renewed initiative to restore Trump’s name to the iconic structure’s façade.
In a filing submitted late Monday, legal representatives for the administration urged U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to dismiss a new legal challenge against Trump’s renaming efforts, which was brought forth by a Democratic member of the Kennedy Center board.
The administration emphasized that the Kennedy Center requires repairs to ensure the building’s preservation, arguing that without these essential renovations, the structure could ultimately be demolished.
“If these efforts are not undertaken, the Center will continue to deteriorate into an unsafe, dilapidated state, necessitating its removal and leading to discussions about potential developments for the site,” the administration’s legal team stated.
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This court filing represents the latest chapter in a prolonged legal struggle regarding whether the board appointed by Trump can change the name of a venue that Congress designated as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. A federal judge previously ruled in May that only Congress holds the authority to modify the center’s name.
On August 13, the center’s board, which is predominantly made up of Trump appointees, voted 20-3 in favor of altering the building’s signage to read “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump,” while also renaming the center’s grounds the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”
U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, who holds a congressional seat and is a member of the Kennedy Center’s board, requested Judge Cooper last week to prevent the name change. Beatty had previously initiated a lawsuit against the administration after the Kennedy Center modified its marble façade to read “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Judge Cooper had ruled in favor of Beatty in May, instructing the Kennedy Center to remove Trump’s name. He stated that the venue “should be named for, and is intended to honor, President Kennedy exclusively.” Cooper noted that since Congress established the Kennedy Center, “only Congress has the power to alter its name.”
The performing arts center was originally conceived as a tribute to Kennedy following the assassination of the Democratic president in 1963.
White marble facade
In June, Trump’s name was taken down from the white marble façade of the building, which has since been covered by a large tarp. Last month, a federal appeals court declined the administration’s request to keep Trump’s name displayed while appealing Judge Cooper’s ruling.
In its recent filing, the administration argued that the proposed plan to reinstate Trump’s name on the façade does not infringe upon the court’s injunction, asserting that the building would still retain its title as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. They contended that the “Restored and Renovated by” addition merely acknowledges Trump’s involvement.
“Such acknowledgments of major benefactors are commonplace in similar venues,” the filing indicated.
In response, Nathaniel Zelinsky, a lawyer representing Beatty, stated that “this filing— which reads as if it were personally drafted by Donald Trump— is devoid of legal merit.”
The White House has not yet provided a response to a request for comment regarding this situation.
Judge Cooper has scheduled a hearing for Thursday in federal court in D.C. to consider Beatty’s request to prevent the Kennedy Center from reinstating Trump’s name on the façade.
Reporting for Reuters by Mike Scarcella; editing by David Bario and Sanjeev Miglani.
