A federal appeals panel on Wednesday refused a request from the Trump administration to temporarily reinstate President Donald Trump’s name on the exterior of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington while the administration pursues an appeal of a lower court ruling.
The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied the effort to stay the May order by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper. Judge Cooper required removal of the president’s name from the Kennedy Center’s facade and signage, and he also barred the administration’s plan to shutter the center for two years of renovations beginning July 4.
The appeal stems from a lawsuit filed by Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, who serves on the Kennedy Center’s board. The appeals court decision does not address the legal merits of Beatty’s challenge - it simply refused to pause enforcement of the district court’s orders while the case continues through the appellate process.
Officials for the White House offered no immediate comment following the panel’s ruling. Representatives for Congresswoman Beatty did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In its application to the appeals court, the administration argued that removing the president’s name would damage the Kennedy Center’s fundraising prospects and "contribute to the financial decline of the Center." The unsigned appellate order said the administration had not supported that claim with "any specific facts or evidence."
Separately, the appeals panel determined the administration may not advance an argument that an entity called The Trump Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Foundation would be required to return funds if the president’s name is not restored to the building’s exterior.
The panel hearing the request consisted of two judges appointed by former President Barack Obama and one appointed by President Trump during his first term.
Context and next steps
The appellate court’s order preserves the status quo on the Kennedy Center’s signage and the injunction against the planned closure while the underlying appeal proceeds. Because the ruling was procedural - refusing a stay - the larger appeal remains active and may ultimately be decided on the merits by the D.C. Circuit.
The decision leaves unresolved the administration’s contention that removing the president’s name will harm the institution’s finances; the appeals court found the assertion insufficiently supported at this stage.