Trump Administration Misses Deadline in Kennedy Center Name Dispute

Washington- The Trump administration missed a court-ordered deadline to remove President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with the Justice Department citing severe weather as the reason for the delay.

The Justice Department said in a court filing that thunderstorms created safety risks for workers carrying out the removal work and requested an extension until Saturday afternoon.

Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who filed the lawsuit, opposed the request, calling the delay unacceptable and part of what she described as a pattern of failing to comply with the court’s order.

A federal judge in Washington had earlier rejected a request from the administration and the Kennedy Center board to pause the removal order while an appeal moved forward.

US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that only Congress has the authority to rename the performing arts venue, which was established as a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy.

The administration appealed the decision to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which also declined to suspend the order.

Attorneys for Beatty said the law was clear that changing the Kennedy Center’s name required congressional action.

The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 as a memorial to Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. After Trump appointed several board members, the board voted in December to rename the center to include his name.

Trump announced plans earlier this year for a major renovation of the center as part of a broader effort to reshape Washington’s landmark sites.