Trump bid to put his name on Kennedy Center blocked by federal judge again; The ‘Trump Plaza’ plan has also stalled | Today’s news
A US federal judge on Tuesday (Sept 15) again blocked the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts from adding President Donald Trump’s name to the iconic Washington building, dealing a new setback to Trump’s efforts to reshape the cultural institution.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the center to temporarily halt its latest proposal to place Trump’s name on a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy. Cooper also barred the center’s board from moving forward with plans to rename the campus “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”
Judge says Congress must approve changes to Kennedy Center memorial
“Simply put, the defendants cannot install monuments to President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without the blessing of Congress,” Cooper wrote in an order issued shortly before the center’s board was scheduled to vote on whether to close the site for two years for repairs and renovations.
The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, largely made up of Trump appointees and with Trump serving as its president, argued that adding his name would recognize his efforts to preserve the institution.
“The board understands that without such proper recognition, it is unlikely that President Trump will provide critical oversight of the main building’s renovations and lead a fiscal rescue of the Center,” the board said in a draft resolution ahead of the meeting.
Trump’s Kennedy Center redevelopment faces legal challenge
Trump’s push to remake the Kennedy Center is part of a broader effort to leave his cultural and architectural imprint on Washington.
His plans included a White House Grand Ballroom to replace the East Wing, which he ordered demolished, a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and a planned “Triumph Arch” near the main national cemetery to honor the U.S. fallen.
Earlier in May, Cooper ordered the Kennedy Center to remove Trump’s name after the center changed its marble facade in December to read: “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.”
Workers removed Trump’s name from the building in June, leaving the exterior covered with scaffolding and a white tarp.
A Democratic lawmaker disputes the name change
Tuesday’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Democratic U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, who serves on the Kennedy Center’s board of directors because of her position in Congress.
The latest order prevents the board from proceeding with the proposed name changes while the lawsuit continues.
