A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to account for a large tarp that appeared on the Kennedy Center's facade after workers removed the president's name from the building this month.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper issued the directive Wednesday, giving the White House until July 31 to explain "the purpose and status of the tarp and scaffolding" now covering the historic Washington theater complex. The covering went up as contractors stripped Trump's name in an early-morning operation following Cooper's earlier ruling that the administration had unlawfully added it in December.
The dispute centers on a lawsuit brought by Joyce Beatty, a Democratic representative and Kennedy Center board member. Last month, Cooper ordered the removal of Trump's name and blocked plans for a two-year closure beginning July 4 for renovations. The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to halt that decision while it pursues an appeal.
In court filings this week, Beatty's legal team characterized the tarp as a "semi-permanent" obstruction that blocks the public's view of John F. Kennedy's name on the building. They argued it appears designed by the Trump administration to circumvent the judge's order restoring conditions to what existed before the renaming.
Beatty herself described the tarp as "an act of petty defiance."
The Kennedy Center and White House did not offer public comment on the situation.
Author James Rodriguez: "This tarp is either hiding something or making a point, and either way it's exactly the kind of legal theater that keeps judges busy."
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