Kennedy Center Can’t Delay Removing Trump's Name, Court Says Murray is a Forbes news reporter covering entertainment trends.Jul 08, 2026, 11:20am EDTJul 08, 2026, 11:57am EDTToplineThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied on Wednesday the Kennedy Center’s request to halt the removal of Trump’s name from the venue during an appeal because it failed to show how it would be “irreparably injured” without the Trump branding.A tarp still blocks the sign outside the Kennedy Center, which now lacks President Donald Trump's name following a court order to remove it. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesKey FactsIn its request for a stay, the Kennedy Center argued it stands to lose “hundreds of millions” of dollars in donations, claiming some donors were only willing to contribute because of the Trump name and that its bylaws will require donations be returned if Trump’s name is removed.The appeals court said Wednesday the center failed to provide “any specific facts or evidence” it would be financially harmed by removing Trump’s name, and it cited a district court’s finding that there is “no proof that current or future donations hinge on President Trump’s name being on the building.”The appeals court said the Kennedy Center’s argument that donations must be returned was not brought up earlier, and any arguments “raised for the first time on appeal are forfeited, absent ‘exceptional circumstances.’”Trump’s name was removed from the Kennedy Center to comply with a district court order in the early hours of June 13, but a tarp has stood in front of the venue’s sign since then, blocking where his name once was.LOADING VIDEO PLAYER...FORBES’ FEATURED Video