“The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name,” Trump wrote. “If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place.”
According to court documents obtained by Radar, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled the Kennedy Center’s board cannot move forward with plans to place the words “renovated and restored by Donald J. Trump” on the building or rename its sprawling campus the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”
The ruling marks the latest setback in the board’s efforts to publicly recognize Trump for his role in the Center’s renovation and financial rescue. The board passed a resolution in August proposing three forms of recognition for Trump, including the building inscription and plaza renaming.
A third proposal would eventually place the words “endowed by The Trump Kennedy Center Fund” on the building if the fund reaches $100million.
However, Cooper found the first two proposals violated an existing permanent injunction barring the Kennedy Center from installing additional memorials without congressional approval. “Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing,” Cooper wrote.