WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� A judge cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the Kennedy Center’s exterior on Friday, denying a last-minute request from the institution’s board that would have kept the name in place.
With storms gathering near Washington before a court-ordered deadline to remove references to Trump, workers were seen building scaffolding around a section of the building that includes the president’s name. A crowd gathered nearby and cheered their work as Trump’s name moved closer to being taken down.
Yet the Kennedy Center’s leadership didn’t abandon its legal efforts to keep Trump’s name in place. The institution appealed the ruling denying it request for a stay and requested action by the court by 7 pm ET.
鈥淭his appeal raises serious questions about Article III standing and about the powers of the Center鈥檚 Board,” the filing read. “Major physical changes to the Center should await this Court鈥檚 resolution of those issues; as an equitable matter, it does not make sense to alter the Center鈥檚 name and signage now, only to potentially revert the name again after what should be a successful appeal.鈥�
Last month, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Trump鈥檚 name was illegally added to the iconic Washington performing arts facility and ordered it removed by Friday. Late Thursday, Trump鈥檚 handpicked board at the center mounted a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the iconic performing arts facility, a request that Cooper denied.
A June 4 from the Kennedy Center鈥檚 Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as 鈥淭he John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts鈥� or 鈥淜ennedy Center.鈥�
The Kennedy Center鈥檚 website has dropped Trump’s name. And an earlier email offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump鈥檚 name.
After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman.
In his earlier ruling, Cooper also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.
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Associated Press journalists Mark Sherman and Emily Wang in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
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