Key facts
- A U.S. appeals court denied the Trump administration's request to temporarily restore President Donald Trump's name to the Kennedy Center facade.
- The court ruled Trump's name cannot be reinstated while the administration appeals a lower court's removal order.
- A federal judge had previously ordered the removal of Trump's name, which was rescinded.
- The appeals court found the administration did not provide specific evidence that removing the name would harm fundraising.
- The ruling does not address the merits of the case itself, allowing the appeal to continue.
A U.S. appeals court has denied the Trump administration's request to temporarily restore President Donald Trump's name to the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The denial comes as the administration appeals a lower court's order for the name's removal.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit stated that the administration failed to demonstrate irreparable injury if Trump's name remains off the building during the appeal process. The board had argued that the removal threatened fundraising, but the judges found this claim lacked specific facts or evidence.
Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled the name change illegal, and Trump's name was removed from the building's facade in June. The current ruling does not address the merits of the appeal itself, allowing it to proceed.