The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted Thursday to add President Donald Trump's name to the building's facade, according to US Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. The move appears designed to circumvent a judge's ruling that Trump's name should be removed, potentially setting the stage for a new legal fight.
The board also voted to proceed with a two-year closure of the performing arts venue in Washington, D.C., for major renovations. This decision comes after a federal judge in May ordered Trump's name to be removed from the building, ruling that only Congress can change the institution's name or authorize major alterations.
Judge Christopher Cooper said in his ruling: "The Kennedy Center's organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board's unilateral say-so." The ruling was a response to Trump's efforts to overhaul the institution after returning to office.
Democrat Beatty, an ex-officio board member, condemned the vote, stating: "This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the Court's ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed. I will continue to fight for this treasured national monument." She revealed that the board voted to change the facade to read "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump" and rename the physical site "the President Donald J. Trump Plaza."
This dispute is part of Trump's broader efforts to remake prominent Washington landmarks. An appeals court last week halted his planned White House ballroom after he demolished the East Wing. His Reflecting Pool renovation also faced major problems, though he still plans to build a massive Memorial Arch.
According to The New York Times, an inscription underneath the institution's name would read: "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump." The newspaper said the wording appears intended to avoid a provision in the federal law governing the Kennedy Center that states "no additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas."
Source: www.dw.com