A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., rules that Donald Trump’s name must remain off the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts while the related lawsuit continues. Multiple outlets report that a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied requests to pause enforcement of a lower-court order. The court had been asked to reinstate or keep Trump’s name on the center’s facade and signage as the Kennedy Center board and/or the Trump administration pursue an appeal.
The decision follows earlier action by a federal district judge, Christopher Cooper, who ordered the removal of Trump’s name in May and blocked plans tied to renovations. The outlets say the name was removed from the Kennedy Center’s facade and signage in June after the order. The appeals court’s ruling keeps that status quo in place for now, meaning the Kennedy Center does not restore the name while higher-court review is pending. Sources also note arguments presented to the appeals court, including claims that removal would cause financial harm and that the dispute involves authority over changing the institution’s branding.
The case continues in the appellate process.
