A federal judge refused Friday to pause a court-ordered deadline requiring the Kennedy Center to strip references to President Donald Trump from the building — and when the institution appealed, that effort was turned away the same evening.
The deadline was Friday, June 13. No extension. The court didn’t budge.
The Kennedy Center had sought to halt the order while it fought the case further, but the judge rejected that request outright. The institution then went up the chain — and got the same answer.
Two rejections in one day. The name is coming down.
What exactly gets removed, and how quickly it happens in practice, hasn’t been spelled out in public court documents reported by NPR. The ruling covers references to Trump on the building itself, though the full scope of what that means for signage, plaques, or other displays wasn’t immediately clear Friday night.
Trump’s ties to the Kennedy Center have been a flashpoint since he returned to office. His administration pushed for influence over the storied Washington performing arts venue — and his name went up as part of that. The court fight over whether it can stay there has now, at least for the moment, been settled against him.
Whether the Kennedy Center will pursue further legal options, or comply by the close of business Friday, wasn’t confirmed as of Friday evening.
Reported by NPR. Read the original report.
