The Trump administration stated in a filing on Friday that the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has been delayed due to bad weather, which raises safety concerns for workers. They expect the process to be finished by early Saturday.
Earlier, a federal judge in Washington dismissed a request to pause the order for the name removal.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper decided against lifting the order while awaiting a ruling from a federal appeals court, which has stated that only Congress has the authority to alter the name of the memorial dedicated to former President John F. Kennedy in Washington, D.C.
The administration has appealed this order to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. However, that court also turned down the government’s plea for a moratorium late Friday.
Attorneys for Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, who initiated the lawsuit, released a joint statement saying, “The law is clear: Only Congress can change the name of the Kennedy Center.”
Norm Eisen, co-founder of the Democratic-leaning legal advocacy group Democracy Defenders Action, along with Nathaniel Zelinsky from the Washington Litigation Group, expressed that they would be observing Trump’s next moves, suggesting that his desperation might only worsen the situation.
Neither the White House nor the Kennedy Center provided comments when requested.
Cooper had ruled on May 29 that only Congress could amend the name of the arts center.
His order mandated that Trump’s name be removed from the building’s exterior, websites, and related materials by Friday at 11:59 p.m.
The administration’s lawyers urged the appellate court to halt the order, claiming that it would be unnecessary to change the center’s signage now if there’s a possibility of reverting back after a successful appeal.
Opened in 1971 as a tribute to the late president, who was assassinated in 1963, the Kennedy Center had its name changed to include Trump in December, following his replacement of several board members last year.
In February, President Trump announced that the center would close for two years for extensive renovations.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders are pushing for broader changes in Washington’s monumental landscape, including plans for a 250-foot-tall arch and a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House.
