Judge denies Kennedy Center request for pause in ruling ordering Trump's name removed from building [View all]

Source: Associated Press, via WAVY

Judge denies Kennedy Center request for pause in ruling ordering Trump’s name removed from building

STEVEN SLOAN, Associated Press
10 minutes ago


A worker sits on scaffolding at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge has denied a request from the Kennedy Center to pause a ruling ordering President Donald Trump’s name removed from building.

That denial came Friday. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled last month Trump’s name was illegally added to the iconic Washington performing arts facility. Cooper ruled only Congress could institute a change to the Kennedy Center’s name and ordered references to Trump to be removed by Friday. ... ‘A June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”

The Kennedy Center’s website has dropped Trump’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.

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 handpicked board of trustees that named him chairman.

Read more: https://www.wavy.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-judge-denies-kennedy-center-request-for-pause-in-ruling-ordering-trumps-name-removed-from-building/amp/

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https://bsky.app/profile/lizdye.bsky.social

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Liz Dye
‪@lizdye.bsky.social‬

And there it is. Judge Cooper denies the Kennedy Center's request to stay his order taking Trump's name off the building.

Let the chiseling begin!

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72069932/beatty-v-trump/?order_by=desc

MINUTE ORDER: Defendants' 55 Motion for a Stay of Permanent Injunction Pending Appeal is hereby DENIED. "A stay pending appeal is an extraordinary remedy" and may only be granted if the traditional stay factors are satisfied. KalshiEX LLC v. CFTC, 119 F.4th 58, 63 (D.C. Cir. 2024) (cleaned up). Defendants have not carried their burden to establish that a stay of the Court's May 29, 2026 permanent injunction concerning the Kennedy Center's renaming is warranted pending an appeal of the underlying ruling to the D.C. Circuit. Most notably, for the detailed reasons laid out in the Court's ruling, Defendants have not "made a strong showing that [they] are likely to succeed on the merits" of any appeal. Nken v. Holder, 556 U.S. 418, 426 (2009) (quoting Hilton v. Braunskill, 481 U.S. 770, 776 (1987)). Nor have Defendants demonstrated that they "will be irreparably injured absent a stay," id. (quoting Hilton, 481 U.S. at 776), given both the de minimis resources that would be required to restore the Center's current name in the event of a successful appeal and the lack of record evidence linking increased donations to the current name. Further, Defendants have apparently taken substantial steps toward complying with the Court's May 29 permanent injunction order on renaming. See Mot. for Misc. Relief, ECF No. 51, Ex. A (June 4, 2026 memorandum from the Kennedy Center's Office of General Counsel directing staff to comply with the Court's permanent injunction on renaming). These efforts undermine the notion that Defendants face irreparable harm in complying with the order in full. The failure to demonstrate irreparable harm is "fatal" to a movant's stay request, KalshiEx, 119 F.4th at 64, as is the failure to show a likelihood of success on the merits. What's more, issuance of a stay pending appeal would not be in the public interest, which is rarely served by the "perpetuation" of "unlawful" governmental action. League of Women Voters of the U.S. v. Newby, 838 F.3d 1, 12 (D.C…
ALT
1:05 PM · Jun 12, 2026
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And there it is. Judge Cooper denies the Kennedy Center's request to stay his order taking Trump's name off the building.

Let the chiseling begin!

www.courtlistener.com/docket/72069...

— Liz Dye (@lizdye.bsky.social) 2026-06-12T17:05:57.398Z