Trump administration appeals Kennedy Center renaming order

The Trump administration lodged a notice of appeal in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday, challenging a ruling by Judge Christopher Cooper that mandated the removal of the president's name from the cultural institution, according to CBS News. Cooper had found that only Congress possessed the authority to authorize a change to the venue's official designation and ordered references to Trump removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The Kennedy Center's board, appointed during Trump's second term, also voted to seek a stay of Cooper's decision, the report said. The ruling additionally blocked plans to close the arts venue for major renovations scheduled to begin in July and continue for two years.

Opposition mounts over renaming plans

Representative Rick Larsen, a Democratic member of the board, said he opposed efforts to seek a stay and looked forward to "focusing on supporting the arts and the future of the Center." Several artists and consultants subsequently withdrew from appearances or resigned from affiliations with the institution after the board announced plans to rename the venue the "Trump Kennedy Center" and add the president's name to the building's facade, according to CBS News.

Trump reshaped the institution's leadership after returning to office, replacing its previous board and naming a new group of trustees that selected him as chairperson. The Kennedy Center has already removed Trump's name from its website, and internal guidance directed staff to use "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" or "Kennedy Center" in official communications.