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Kennedy Center board votes to add Trump inscription and rename grounds FAST-MOVING
The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has voted to re-add an inscription honoring President Donald Trump to the building's facade. The proposed text reads, ‘The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.’ Additionally, the board voted to rename the center's grounds ‘President Donald J. Trump Plaza.’
These decisions, made by a board largely composed of Trump allies, directly challenge a May ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper. The judge previously ordered the removal of Trump's name, stating that the center cannot be renamed without an act of Congress and must honor President Kennedy alone.
Alongside the naming changes, the board approved a plan to close the Kennedy Center's main building for up to two years to undergo extensive renovations. During this period, operations are expected to shift to the REACH, a separate building on the campus, which will remain open for limited programming.
In a separate legal development, a D.C. Superior Court judge ordered the Kennedy Center to pay jazz musician Chuck Redd $252,479.70 in legal fees. The ruling follows a dismissed lawsuit filed by the center against Redd after he canceled a Christmas Eve performance in protest of the initial attempts to add Trump's name to the venue.
Entities
Christopher Cooper · Christopher R. Cooper · Chuck Redd · Donald Trump · Joyce Beatty · Kennedy Center · National Symphony Orchestra · Tanya Jones Bosier
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] The board voted to close the main building for a two-year renovation period. time.com · www.aljazeera.com · www.kpbs.org · www.washingtonexaminer.com · www.sbctv.gr · +1 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Rep. Joyce Beatty stated the decision is a 'transparent effort to circumvent the Court's ruling'. time.com · www.aljazeera.com · www.joemygod.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The board voted 20-3 to change the building's name to 'The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump'. time.com · www.joemygod.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] A federal judge previously ruled that renaming the venue violated federal law requiring it to honor 'President Kennedy and President Kennedy alone'. time.com · www.aljazeera.com · www.standard-democrat.com · www.washingtonexaminer.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The board's decision is based on an 'independent and objective analysis' by an outside consulting firm. www.thewrap.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] A phased four-year renovation plan could cost upwards of $560 million. time.com
- [● 7 SOURCES] The REACH will remain open for limited programming during the main building's closure. www.kpbs.org · www.thewrap.com · www.washingtonexaminer.com · time.com · www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · +2 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] The board voted to name the grounds ‘President Donald J. Trump Plaza’. time.com · www.joemygod.com · www.news18.com · www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · www.bbc.co.uk · +5 more
- [● 15 SOURCES] The board voted to close the Kennedy Center for two years to undergo renovations. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · wdez.com · www.cbsnews.com · whdh.com · time.com · +10 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Representative Joyce Beatty claims the board's decision to restore Trump's name is an attempt to bypass federal court orders. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · wdez.com · www.cbsnews.com · whdh.com · time.com · +7 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] A D.C. Superior Court judge ordered the Kennedy Center to pay musician Chuck Redd $252,479.70 in legal fees. hbcunews.com · www.newyorkbeacon.net · www.memesita.com · www.ticketnews.com · www.nbcpalmsprings.com
- [● 11 SOURCES] The board voted to add an inscription reading ‘The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump’. www.brasilemfolhas.com.br · wdez.com · www.cbsnews.com · whdh.com · time.com · +6 more