Trump name must come down from Kennedy Center, US appeals court rules

A US appeals court has ruled that the Kennedy Center must remove President Donald Trump’s name from its building by the end of Friday, keeping in place an earlier federal court order.

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an emergency request from the Kennedy Center to pause the ruling while further legal proceedings continue. The court did not explain its reasoning in the brief unsigned decision.

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The panel included Judge Gregory Katsas, appointed by Trump, alongside judges Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins, both appointed by former President Barack Obama.

The ruling means the venue must comply with an 11:59 PM deadline set by US District Judge Casey Cooper last month.

The order requires the Kennedy Center to remove Trump’s name from its building, website, promotional material and other branding linked to the rebranding effort.

According to CNN, the centre had already begun reversing some of the changes but had left signage reading “The Donald J. Trump and” on the building’s exterior while appealing the decision.

Justice Department lawyers argued that restoring the original name could confuse the public if the legal challenge is later overturned.

They also warned that removing Trump’s name could force the return of “hundreds of millions of dollars” in private donations linked to the rebranding.

Outside the Kennedy Center, scaffolding was erected beneath the signage as protesters gathered, chanting: “Take it down.”