Key facts
- An appeals court denied the Trump administration's request to keep President Donald Trump's name on the Kennedy Center.
- A federal judge previously ruled that only Congress has the authority to change the venue's name.
- The judge also blocked planned renovations to the Kennedy Center.
- The Kennedy Center's leadership argued the renovations were necessary due to structural damage.
- Scaffolding has been erected around the building in preparation for removing Trump's name.
An appeals court has denied the Trump administration's last-minute effort to keep President Donald Trump's name on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Earlier on Friday, a federal judge had rejected a request to pause a court-ordered deadline to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the center's operations. The Kennedy Center's leadership appealed that ruling, arguing that badly needed renovations were being blocked and accusing the lower court of interfering.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper stated that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Center's name. He also blocked the administration from closing the cultural venue for major renovations planned to start in July and last for two years, citing potential life-threatening structural damage like rusted beams and falling parking garage ceilings.