Why Do Tarps Remain At The Kennedy Center?
Workers erected a large tarp that blocked most of the Kennedy Center’s sign in the early hours of June 13 as they removed Trump’s name from the building’s facade. Though the center said in a court filing it removed Trump’s name, onlookers have not been able to see the proof for themselves as the tarps have remained standing. Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi told the Washington Post the tarps are up to repair the marble facade, but did not say when they are expected to come down. The center has repeatedly fought the court’s order to remove Trump’s name, including a last-minute request for a pause to the judge’s ruling shortly before the deadline to restore the original name, which was rejected.
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chief critics
Democrats in Congress have criticized the center for keeping up the tarps, with Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., calling it a “literal coverup” in a post on X. “It will be a beautiful day when the name of the Kennedy Center is restored to visibility,” Raskin said, accusing Trump of “vandalizing federal property” by adding his name to the center. Jack Schlossberg, a congressional candidate and the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, accused Trump in an interview with MS NOW on Sunday of “attacking President Kennedy’s legacy” with his bid to rename the center. Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., accused the Kennedy Center in a post on X of “hiding the sign” with “no plans” to take the tarp down, calling it “petty” and “embarrassing.
key background
U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled in May the center must revert to its original name and remove Trump’s, saying the center’s establishing law requires congressional approval for any name change. The ruling also blocked the center’s planned two-year closure because the decision to close was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained,” based on an “insufficient, one-sided presentation of information” that failed to consider the center’s statutory obligations. Trump launched a takeover of the Kennedy Center early in his second term. He criticized it for allegedly “woke” programming and gutted the center’s board, replacing terminated members with allies. The board then voted to add Trump’s name to the center in December, shortly after which Beatty filed her lawsuit.
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further reading
One Week After Kennedy Center Removed Trump’s Name—Tarps Still Block Sign (Forbes)
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