The board members of the Kennedy Center voted for the immediate closure of the center for repairs. This decision was made after the Trump administration repeatedly claimed that the venue was in severe financial crisis and could not continue operating without the President's name.
Blocking the Name Change Request
President Trump announced that the center must be closed "immediately," but the "renovation and modernization" project cannot proceed unless the courts allow his name to be placed on the building. Trump wrote in his post on the social media platform Truth Social: "If the ruling is negative and not overturned by the Supreme Court, the renovation and modernization of the Kennedy Center will not take place."
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Closure Based on Court Order
The board's vote was issued immediately after a federal judge in Washington, D.C. blocked the institution's attempt to add the President's name to the building. The board members had proposed that the building be named "The John F. Kennedy Arts Center Renovated by Donald J. Trump."
Judge Christopher Cooper emphasized in his ruling that "the defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without congressional approval." He also noted that this decision contradicted a federal court order and a law passed by Congress.
In May, Judge Cooper ruled that Congress had clearly determined that the building should only be named after the assassinated President John F. Kennedy and cannot have any other name or memorial.
The Kennedy Center had until June 12 to remove the name signs that had been hastily installed. However, construction workers only acted on June 13 to collect the signs, and it appears that the Trump name signs were removed late at night.
Lawyers representing Joe Biyati, who is leading the legal battle against the proposed changes, claimed that the board illegally ignored the judge's order.
The board intended to review a new list of 10 ways to restore Trump's name, but this item was abruptly removed from the agenda, and the meeting focused solely on the closure of the building.
A draft resolution states that the center is in a financial crisis and its financial resources have run out. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has repeatedly claimed that the center is falling into "financial ruin" and that the President is the only hope for its salvation.
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Source: independent.co.uk
