Kennedy Center tarp stays after Trump name removal, judge orders explanation

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the removal of former President Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and barred a planned two‑year closure for renovations. After workers stripped the name in a predawn operation on June 13, a white tarp and scaffolding were erected over the façade and have remained in place. In a new order, Cooper demanded a joint status report by July 31 explaining “the purpose for and status of the tarp and scaffolding.” The lawsuit was brought by Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Kennedy Center board member, who characterizes the covering as a “petty act of defiance” intended to frustrate the restoration of the original name. The Center argues the tarp is needed for marble maintenance, while the Trump administration has appealed the removal order. Recent images released by activist group Hands Off the Arts confirm the name’s removal but show the tarp still obscuring the wall. The dispute also touches on the Center’s renovation plans, which the judge has allowed to continue pending further review.