Trump administration appeals judge’s ruling over removing president’s name from Kennedy Center

By Betsy Klein, CNN

(CNN) — The Trump administration on Thursday evening appealed a judge’s order that overturned the Kennedy Center’s decision to rename the venue for President Donald Trump and its plans to close down the storied arts center during a yearslong renovation.

Earlier Thursday, Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center board of trustees convened for a board meeting to discuss plans to appeal the ruling.

In the afternoon meeting, the board voted to file an appeal contesting US District Judge Casey Cooper’s decision, according to a source familiar with the matter, which said that the board violated the law when it added Trump’s name to the historic performing arts venue. Cooper also said the center may still move ahead with renovations to the decades-old building and could later decide to close the center after its board more fully considered the impact on its statutory requirement to maintain some programming at all times.

In his ruling, Cooper gave the center 14 days to remove all references to the name “Trump Kennedy Center” or the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Those efforts have begun, with the center’s general counsel imploring staff to remove the name from their email signatures last week and a change to the website logo, though the exterior signage remains in place as of Thursday night.

The source compared the meeting to an episode of the political satire show “Veep,” telling CNN that Trump, who dialed in to the meeting from the Oval Office via Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s iPhone, spent part of the session lambasting Cooper. Trump and Lutnick, the source added, attacked Cooper’s wife, Amy Jeffress, who served as former President Joe Biden’s personal lawyer.

The board, full of Trump loyalists, also discussed a resolution to honor Trump that would recognize his “major contributions,” his “profound dedication,” and his “unprecedented … commitment to uphold this cherished American institution,” according to a copy of the resolution viewed by CNN.

It passed.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Devan Cole contributed to this report.

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