A federal judge on Friday struck down a last-ditch attempt by the Kennedy Center’s board to keep President Donald Trump’s name on the building.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper denied the Trump administration’s request to issue a stay on his May 29 ruling while an appeal plays out. Cooper wrote that the center had already taken steps to comply with that ruling by removing Trump’s name from some of its branding ahead of the Friday, June 12 deadline.
“These efforts undermine the notion that Defendants face irreparable harm in complying with the order in full,” Cooper wrote.
The judge had previously ruled that the Kennedy Center board of trustees — whose members were handpicked by Trump and who subsequently named him president of the organization — cannot unilaterally change the center’s name.
“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote.