Judge Blocks 2 Kennedy Center Renamings for Trump, Citing 1983 Law

3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Sep 15

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper barred the Kennedy Center board from adding Trump's name to the main building and renaming the campus "The President Donald J. Trump Plaza."
Cooper said the Aug. 13 board resolution violated both his earlier ruling and a 1983 federal statute barring additional memorials or plaques in the center's public areas without congressional approval.
The board, chaired by Trump, had planned an inscription reading "renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump" beneath the center's official name and had already pushed implementation from Sept. 8 to Oct. 8.
Justice Department lawyers had defended the plan by arguing a court block could deter donors and worsen funding strains as the center needs renovation.
The order extends a legal fight over who controls the federally created arts institution's naming powers after Cooper ruled four months ago that Congress named it for John F. Kennedy alone.