Judge raises concerns over effort to restore Trumps name to Kennedy Center

US District Court Judge Christopher Cooper has questioned the timing of the Kennedy Center’s decision to restore President Donald Trump’s name to the venue. The judge asked Trump administration lawyer Bradley Mayers on Thursday why the center must begin adding the president’s name back to the building by September 8.

Mayers stated that the date is aligned with a vote by the centre’s board, which was composed of members selected by Trump earlier this month. Cooper responded that he was concerned about what Congress intended in these statutes and whether the board’s actions were in line with those intentions.

The Kennedy Center’s decision to restore Trump’s name comes as part of a larger effort by the president to reshape the national capital. Other changes include demolishing the East Wing of the White House and plans for an enormous ballroom, as well as a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.

In May, Cooper found that adding Trump’s name to the building was illegal and that Congress alone could rebrand the building. He also struck down an attempt to close the building for two years. The board had described the effort as necessary to maintain the building, but critics saw it as retaliation against the backlash to the renaming effort.

The centre’s board renewed its push to add Trump’s name back to the facade in June, with a vote calling for the inscription “Restored and Renovated By President Donald J Trump”. The plaza in front of the venue was also renamed after Trump. Administration officials have threatened to demolish the Kennedy Centre if the renovations do not go through.

Lawyers for Representative Joyce Beatty, who brought the lawsuit against the board’s changes, described the recent actions as “outright defiance” against the court. Cooper rejected the idea that court orders were standing in the way of any repairs, stating that no one is stopping the center from doing necessary repairs.

Source: Al Jazeera