A federal judge ruled that the Washington arts institution must remove President Trump’s name from its facade by Friday.
Judge Christopher R. Cooper determined that only Congress could change the name of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The center was originally dedicated to President Kennedy in 1964.
On Thursday, the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted to appeal the federal judge’s order, according to two sources familiar with the meeting. The board mainly consists of allies of Mr. Trump.
Judge Cooper of the Federal District Court in Washington found that the board lacked the authority to change the name of the arts center unilaterally. His ruling stated that Mr. Trump’s name must be removed by Friday.
Kennedy Center representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Initially, officials aligned with Trump at the Kennedy Center expressed their intention to fight the ruling. They were confident that the court would support the “board’s will to recognize President Trump’s historic contributions to the nation’s cultural center.”
Julia Jacobs reports on arts and culture, frequently covering legal matters for The Times.
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