Kennedy Center board seeks pause of ruling ordering removal of Trump's name by Friday deadline

By — Steven Sloan, Associated Press Steven Sloan, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/kennedy-center-board-seeks-pause-of-ruling-ordering-removal-of-trumps-name-by-friday-deadline Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Kennedy Center board seeks pause of ruling ordering removal of Trump's name by Friday deadline Nation Jun 12, 2026 12:23 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's handpicked board at the Kennedy Center is mounting a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the iconic performing arts facility before a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday. The board voted Thursday to seek a stay of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper's May 29 ruling that said Trump's name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center, according to a person familiar with the move who requested anonymity to discuss a private meeting. The formal request was filed late Thursday. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Cooper ruled that only Congress could institute a change to the Kennedy Center's name and ordered references to Trump be removed by Friday. He also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years. The board move marks a shift from a June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center's Office of General Counsel saying email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" or "Kennedy Center." READ MORE: Trump's name must be removed from Kennedy Center by June 12, memo to staff says The Kennedy Center's website has dropped the president's name. And an email earlier this week sent to members offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump's name. "The Trump administration's 11th hour gambit after waiting nearly two weeks evinces desperation," Norm Eisen, a board member at Democracy Defenders Action, and Nathaniel Zelinsky, senior counsel at the Washington Litigation Group, said in a statement. "That is what they should be feeling because they don't have a legal leg to stand on. We will be vigorously contesting this latest ploy as we have throughout the case on behalf of Congresswoman Beatty and the American people." WATCH: News Wrap: Judge orders Kennedy Center to remove Trump's name from building They represent Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center's board who filed the lawsuit seeking to remove Trump's name from the institution. After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he ousted the center's previous leadership and replaced it with a han