Trump's Trials - Kennedy Center appeals ruling to remove Trump's name

Episode Date: June 12, 2026

Friday is a deadline for the Kennedy Center to remove President Trump's name from all of its branding, including the marble front of its building in Washington, D.C. But the Kennedy Center board voted to seek an emergency appeal to block a court order requiring the removal of President Trump's name. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports.Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

You're listening to Trump's terms. I'm Scott Detrow. The president has both an ability and a willingness to use the power of his office, to think outside the box. Nobody makes a better deal than President Trump. We're going to do better and better and better. Nobody can believe what they're watching. Every episode, we bring you one story from NPR's recent coverage of the 47th president. With a focus on ways his administration is pushing the boundaries of presidential power.

Here's the latest from NPR. I'm Stevens Keep in Washington, D.C. Today is a deadline for the Kennedy Center to stop promoting President Trump. A judge said the Washington Arts Center must remove Trump's name from all of its branding, including the marble front of its building in Washington. They were in the middle of complying when they chose another course. NPR's Elizabeth Blair, what are they doing? The Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees on Thursday decided to appeal the ruling.

Just to back up a little bit, U.S. District Judge Christopher ruled on two lawsuits, one from Representative Joyce Beatty, who is an ex-officio board member of the Kennedy Center, meaning she serves on the board because of her role as an elected official. Another suit was from a coalition of cultural and preservation groups. The judge ruled that it was, quote, crystal clear that the Kennedy Center was intended as a living memorial to its namesake and that only Congress could change that so that Trump's name had to come down. And initially, the Kennedy Center appointees somewhat uncharacteristically for this administration were complying with the court order rather than appealing it to a higher court. It seemed like that for a minute. That's right. The Center's General Counsel sent a memo to staff, telling them to start removing Trump's name from the logo, all indoor and outdoor signage, email signatures, et cetera. And that was happening. The memo also said his name would come off the building. And people were expecting it to happen early this morning. There's a pretty active group of protesters who even set up a webcam from an apartment in the nearby Watergate to watch it happen, but his name is still there. What's the case for keeping at the Trump Kennedy Center? The government filed a motion for a stay, which says the Kennedy Center would be, quote, forced to squander time and money only to potentially revert back to the current name after appeal. They also say removing Trump's name will hurt the center's fundraising and will contribute to its financial decline.

Now, ever since Trump took over the Kennedy Center, artists have canceled shows and ticket sales have plummeted. Very interesting to say that it's squandering time and money to change the name of the Kennedy Center when the Kennedy Center board. changed the name of the Kennedy Center. In any case, how have the plaintiffs responded, the people who want the name down? Congresswoman Joyce Beatty is being represented by Norm Eisen of the Democracy Defender's Action and Nathaniel Zelensky of the Washington Litigation Group. In a joint statement, they write, quote, the Trump administration's 11th hour gambit after waiting nearly two weeks evinces desperation. That is what they should be feeling because they don't have a legal leg to stand on, end quote. They have filed an opposition to the government's

for a stay. Okay, we'll continue listening for your reporting to see what happens next. Elizabeth, thanks. Thank you, Steve. That's NPR's Elizabeth Blair on the Kennedy Center. And before we wrap up, a thank you to our NPR Plus supporters who hear each show without sponsored messages and, of course, who help protect independent journalism. If you are not a supporter yet, you can visit plus.npr.org to find out how you can get a ton of podcast perks across dozens of NPR. shows, like bonus episodes, exclusive merchandise, and more. Again, that's plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's Terms from NPR.