Topline
The Kennedy Center hung a large tarp blocking its sign last month before workers removed President Donald Trump’s name, which the center says it has kept up while the marble facade is repaired—but one month later, the tarp still stands, and the center still has given no indication as to when it may come down.
The tarp blocks the Kennedy Center’s sign, which no longer includes President Donald Trump’s name, from view. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Key Facts
In the early hours of June 13, workers covered scaffolding in front of the Kennedy Center with a huge tarp, before taking down Trump’s name to comply with a federal court’s order that blocked the renaming of the venue.
But the Kennedy Center has remained mostly tight-lipped about the tarp and how long it is expected to stand in front of the venue, with spokesperson Roma Daravi telling the Washington Post last month the tarps will stay up as workers repair the marble facade, though she did not specify a timeline.
The tarp has frustrated some onlookers who had hoped to see the Kennedy Center’s sign after Trump’s name was removed, and multiple Democratic members of Congress have called for it to come down.
Lawyers representing Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who filed the lawsuit challenging the renaming of the Kennedy Center, have accused the venue of keeping the tarps up to “massage broken egos” after Trump’s name was ordered to come down.
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment about how long the tarps will stand.
what to watch for
The Kennedy Center will soon have to explain to a federal judge why the tarps are still up. U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper, who issued the ruling in May that required the venue to abandon Trump’s name, ordered the Kennedy Center to submit a report explaining the “purpose for and status of the tarp and scaffolding” either by July 31 or within seven days of a planned July Kennedy Center Board of Trustees meeting, whichever comes first. The order requests information about the tarps “to the extent they remain at that time,” as well as updates on plans for future construction and operations at the venue.
chief critics
Beatty, in court filings, accused the center of keeping the tarps up in “petulant defiance” of the court’s order to remove the Trump branding. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., called the tarps a “literal coverup” in a post on X in June, likening Trump’s effort to add his name to the venue to “graffiti” and vandalism. “It will be a beautiful day when the name of the Kennedy Center is restored to visibility,” Raskin said. Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., accused the Kennedy Center of having “no plans” to take the tarp down, calling it “petty” and “embarrassing” in a post on X.
What Is The Latest In The Kennedy Center’s Appeal?
The Kennedy Center is fighting the judge’s order that required the removal of Trump’s name. Last week, the center was dealt a blow by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which denied its request for a stay pending appeal, which would have paused the court order while the appeal plays out. The Kennedy Center had argued it stands to lose “hundreds of millions” of dollars in donations without Trump’s name, but the appeals court said the center failed to provide “any specific facts or evidence” showing it would be financially harmed by lacking Trump’s name.
tangent
A tarp also covers the White House’s North Portico as construction crews fix stone columns and fortify the front door. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum told podcast host Katie Miller last week the column repairs should be completed “very quickly,” but CNN reported the front door security enhancements could take until mid-September. The upgrades to the front door come at the behest of the Secret Service, CNN reported. A spate of construction projects are underway at the White House, also including construction of a helipad and Trump’s ballroom.
further reading
Federal Judge Demands Answers About Tarps Blocking Kennedy Center Sign (Forbes)