Kennedy Center Controversy Deepens as Trump Administration Misses Key Deadline
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration missed a court‑ordered midnight Friday deadline to remove the president’s name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, citing thunderstorms that could endanger workers. The Department of Justice requested an extension until Saturday noon, saying work would be completed by then.
Democratic US Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who filed the lawsuit, called the delay “inexcusable” and part of “a pattern of non‑compliance.” A federal judge had earlier rejected a DOJ request to pause the removal order while an appeal is heard. The appeals court also refused to halt the ruling.
Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on May 29 that only Congress can rename the arts center, which opened in 1971 as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. After Trump replaced several board members last year, the board voted to add his name. Trump has also announced a two‑year closure of the center for renovation as part of a broader push to reshape Washington’s monumental core.
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