Judge declines to change deadline for taking Trump's name off Kennedy Center

A federal judge on Friday declined to stay his order demanding the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts while an appeal progressed.

Upon returning to the White House, Trump fired the board of the Kennedy Center and appointed former Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell to oversee an overhaul of the facility. The replacement board later voted to add Trump's name to the building, which prompted a lawsuit and order for its removal.

Judge Christopher Cooper, in his Friday decision, rejected a bid from the Kennedy Center to pause the order, saying "issuance of a stay pending appeal would not be in the public interest, which is rarely served by the ‘perpetuation’ of ‘unlawful’ governmental action," according to The Hill.

Apart from renaming the Kennedy Center itself, Trump's board named the opera house after first lady Melania Trump, changed the performance lineup, and has pursued a series of renovations that have drawn further scrutiny.

The Kennedy Center order the removal of Trump's name last week to comply with Cooper's order.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.