Emergency hearing over Kennedy Center renaming, repairs ends without final ruling
Emergency hearing over Kennedy Center changes ends without final ruling
An emergency hearing over proposed changes for the Kennedy Center ended without the judge issuing a final ruling.
WASHINGTON - An emergency hearing Wednesday over the repairs and renaming of the Kennedy Center ended without a ruling after a federal judge raised questions about the urgency behind the move.
Attorneys for Kennedy Center board member Rep. Joyce Beatty again urged a federal judge to intervene as the legal fight over the future of the center intensifies.
What we know:
In this latest dispute, Beatty’s legal team argues the Justice Department is effectively threatening to tear down the Kennedy Center if President Trump’s name is not added.
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A tarp still covered the area where President Donald Trump's name was installed before Judge Christopher Cooper ordered it to be removed.
On Wednesday, the same judge questioned why the Trump administration needs to have the president's name on the building so soon.
The hearing began around 2 p.m. and lasted about two hours, ending without Judge Cooper issuing a final ruling.
The backstory:
In May, Cooper ruled that only Congress can change the center’s name. Weeks later, the Trump‑backed Kennedy Center Board voted to add the president’s name in a different form, proposing new front‑facing language: "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump."
Justice Department lawyers wrote in a filing earlier this week that the Kennedy Center is dangerously dilapidated, crediting President Trump with securing a new donor base and $258 million in congressional restoration funds.
They warned that without those efforts, the center could deteriorate into an unsafe structure and would be required to be taken down.
"It'll take two years to renovate it, [President Trump] is not doing it for himself," Howard Lutnick said Wednesday. "Maybe he'll be here for the grand opening, but other than that, this is for America to create the greatest institution in America."
"It's dangerous," he added. "Don't overstate it. It's dangerous. Look, there's chunks of concrete falling off the ceiling in the garage."
RELATED: Kennedy Center board votes to close facility for 2 years, add Trump's name
Beatty’s attorneys view that language as a threat and are seeking to block the addition, writing in their response that the filing is an assault on the rule of law.
Beatty serves as an ex‑officio board member, not appointed by the president. The Kennedy Center is the national memorial honoring President John F. Kennedy, and supporters say they are concerned about its future.
Beatty’s filing also cites recent reporting that ticket sales and donations sharply dropped after the president’s name was added to the building.
"Today was a good day in court, because we are here to fight for justice," she said Wednesday.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.