Appeals Court Denies Stays Sought by Kennedy Center and Trump on Name Removal

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on July 8 denied the Kennedy Center’s request for a stay pending appeal of a district court order requiring removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the venue.

The three-judge panel also rejected a separate stay request filed by President Trump and other Kennedy Center board members. The court found that the Kennedy Center had not shown it would suffer irreparable injury without the stay. In its filing, the Kennedy Center stated it could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in donations because some donors contribute only because of the Trump name and because its bylaws would require returning those donations if the name is removed.

The appeals court ruled that the center provided no specific facts or evidence of financial harm. It cited the district court’s finding that there is no proof current or future donations depend on the name remaining on the building. The appeals court further held that the Kennedy Center’s argument about returning donations was not raised in the district court and is therefore forfeited on appeal absent exceptional circumstances.

President Donald Trump’s name was removed from the Kennedy Center in the early hours of June 13 to comply with the district court order. A tarp has covered the venue’s sign since that date, blocking the former location of the name.