AILSA CHANG, HOST:
President Trump may not have top billing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts much longer. Today, a federal judge denied an appeal by the center's board of trustees for a stay on the removal of Trump's name from the building. Later, the Trump administration filed for an emergency stay, but that, too, was denied. NPR's Chloe Veltman joins us now with the latest on this rapidly developing situation. Hi, Chloe.
CHLOE VELTMAN, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, so just catch us up. What is going on at the Kennedy Center right now?
VELTMAN: Well, right now, workmen are continuing to build scaffolding in the dark outside the building. But just to be clear, Ailsa, we do not yet have direct confirmation from the Kennedy Center that the scaffolding is there expressly to remove Trump's name.
CHANG: OK.
VELTMAN: Workmen started to build the scaffolding a few hours before U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said no to the board of trustees' appeal to stay the removal of Trump's name from the building.
CHANG: And explain why the workers did that ahead of this whole ruling.
VELTMAN: OK, well, today was the deadline for the board, which is stacked with President Trump's allies, to appeal a ruling Cooper handed down two weeks ago stating that the renaming of the facility was illegal and that such a move requires approval from Congress. And until yesterday, it looked as if the Trump administration would comply. The name has already changed on the center's website and some of its social media channels, and the Kennedy Center's general counsel sent a memo to staff saying the president's name would come off the building, too. But then at the 11th hour, the board of trustees abruptly changed course and filed an appeal.
CHANG: At the 11th hour - why did they wait that long? And, like, what were the grounds for the appeal?
VELTMAN: I reached out to ask the Kennedy Center about the late timing, but they haven't yet responded. The motion requesting a stay on the removal of Trump's name says there's no point in removing it when they'll potentially restore the president's name anyway after winning an appeal. And they also say removing his name would hurt the center's fundraising and contribute to its financial decline.
CHANG: OK, so appeal denied, and also denied was this request for an emergency stay. Bring us up to speed there.
VELTMAN: Yes, so the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that the motion for an immediate administrative stay be denied. But there are still legal avenues open for the Kennedy Center to pursue. This lawsuit was brought by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who's an ex officio member of the board of trustees. And Norm Eisen, one of her attorneys, tells NPR, any further attempt to overturn the court's decision is a waste of time.
NORM EISEN: It's no different than if a graffiti artist had climbed up on a ladder and tagged the front of the building with Donald Trump's name. It's an act of corruption and appropriation. It will not stand. Sooner or later, that name is coming off the building.
VELTMAN: And, Ailsa, it's still not clear if that sign will come down tonight or not.
CHANG: Wow. What a saga. That is NPR's Chloe Veltman, bringing us up to speed on all the legal wrangling surrounding whether President Trump's name remains on the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Thank you so much again, Chloe.
VELTMAN: It's a great pleasure, Ailsa. Thanks for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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