The Kennedy Center's board of trustees has decided to challenge a federal court ruling that demands the removal of President Trump's name from the Washington performing arts institution, setting up another legal battle over the controversial renaming.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper issued an order last month requiring the center to take down Trump signage by Friday. The board, stacked with Trump appointees, voted to appeal the decision rather than comply.
The move contradicts an earlier signal from the center's leadership. This week, the Kennedy Center scrubbed Trump's name from its website and social media accounts, suggesting it would follow the judge's directive. But behind the scenes, the board was preparing its legal counteroffensive.
A spokeswoman for the center said it would keep complying with the court order while it pursues "all legal options" to preserve what it calls the Trump-backed revitalization project and acknowledge his leadership role.
Judge Cooper's ruling sided with Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democratic congresswoman from Ohio and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center's board. She sued after the center unilaterally renamed itself in Trump's honor without proper authorization from Congress, arguing the board "overstepped its statutory bounds" by acting alone on such a consequential decision.
The appeal virtually guarantees this naming dispute will linger in the courts for months, keeping the Kennedy Center's future in limbo and reigniting the political firestorm around Trump's influence over a national cultural institution.
The Kennedy Center sits at the intersection of politics, art, and presidential legacy, making the battle over its name far more than a real estate matter. The center's board, appointed largely by Trump, sees the renaming as recognition of his support for the institution's operations. Critics argue it inappropriately politicizes one of America's premier performing arts venues.
The timing of the board's appeal decision cuts it close to Cooper's Friday deadline, suggesting the legal fight was planned even as the center publicly announced its compliance with the court order.
Author James Rodriguez: "The Kennedy Center can't have it both ways, and the courts will likely make that crystal clear before this is done."
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