Kennedy Center board votes to close venue immediately as judge again blocks addition of Trump's name
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Set us as preferred The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to immediately close the performing arts venue, a few hours after a federal judge ruled that President Trump’s name could not be restored to its facade, according to sources familiar with the situation.It remains unclear when the venue might actually close since U.S.
Federal Judge Christopher Cooper would have to lift his preliminary injunction against the closure — an action that will almost certainly be fought in court.The whipsaw turn of events came after a 57-page packet was distributed to the board over the weekend claiming the center was in egregious physical decline and nearly bankrupt — a prospect that could only be avoided with Trump’s help.“The Kennedy Center is in such a precarious fiscal position that it will not be able to support its payroll obligations, nor routine maintenance contracts within a matter of weeks,” the draft resolution seeking the addition of Trump’s name reads.
It continues, if Trump is not “legally and appropriately recognized and acknowledged on the facade of the Kennedy Center,” it is doubtful he will agree to “carry the burden of managing the renovation and provides the Center with a much required financial rescue.”In a 22-page ruling Tuesday, Judge Cooper wrote, “Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing.”Trump decried the back and forth in court, calling Cooper in a social media post “very hostile and conflicted” and alleging that the center “is in a virtual state of collapse.” Entertainment & Arts A federal judge has ruled that President Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major r...