Kennedy Center Faces Contempt Claims Over Tarps Blocking Trump Name Removal]

The Kennedy Center is facing accusations of defying a court order requiring the removal of former President Donald Trump’s name from the building’s facade, with critics claiming tarps erected to shield the sign amount to “petulant defiance.”

Plaintiff Representative Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who filed suit against Trump and the Kennedy Center in December over Trump’s attempt to rename the facility, filed court documents Monday opposing the center’s motion to delay the removal order. Beatty’s legal team alleges the Kennedy Center has engaged in legal gamesmanship, including a last-minute bid to pause the court mandate before the June 12 deadline—already rejected—and describing the continued use of tarps as an effort to “frustrate the restoration of the status quo.”

The filing also criticizes the center for leaving the tarps in place for over a week, suggesting this constitutes an attempt to “massage broken egos” rather than address legitimate renovation needs. Beatty’s lawyers further accuse the Kennedy Center of rendering the venue a “lifeless husk” by failing to schedule programming beyond July 5, when the court barred a planned two-year closure.

In response, the Kennedy Center said it intends to maintain operations by preserving access to public spaces and the John F. Kennedy memorial, while disputing that the court order requires it to reinstate previously canceled programming or schedule new events. Its publicly listed calendar remains sparse beyond early summer.

The dispute has advanced to federal appeals court following a ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper in late May, which mandated that the center restore its original name and halt the closure. Trump seized control of the Kennedy Center early in his second term, criticizing its programming as “woke,” dismantling the existing board, and installing allies who voted to rename the building in December—prompting Beatty’s lawsuit shortly thereafter.

Democrats have condemned the visible delay, with Representative Jamie Raskin, D-Md., calling the tarps a “literal coverup” on social media, and Congressman Mike Levin, D-Calif., labeling the action “petty” and “embarrassing.” Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi has cited ongoing marble facade repairs as justification for the coverings but has not provided a timeline for their removal.

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