A federal judge issues a temporary order blocking the Trump administration from closing the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for repairs. According to reporting, the judge orders that the Kennedy Center’s planned closure be halted while the matter is litigated. The judge also directs that “Trump” be removed from the building’s naming and from the organization’s website, following objections to the naming. At the same time, the judge’s order permits the government to conduct necessary repairs throughout the building rather than proceeding with a full shutdown.
One source reports that the order vacates a March 16 vote by the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees approving the closure. The combined accounts indicate the judge’s decision is intended to keep the facility open during the dispute while allowing repair work to continue on an ongoing basis. The rulings do not resolve the underlying legal issues, but they change the near-term status of the planned closure and naming-related requirements.
