KENNEDY CENTRE BOARD VOTES TO ADD TRUMP NAME TO BUILDING

The board of the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington voted on Thursday to inscribe President Donald Trump's name on the building's facade and to proceed with a two-year closure for renovations, according to congresswoman Joyce Beatty and her lawyers. The proposed inscription would read "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J Trump" beneath the institution's existing nameplate. Beatty, a Democratic representative from Ohio and ex officio board member, said in a statement that the decision was "a transparent effort to circumvent the Court's ruling and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed".

In May, US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that Trump's name had been added to the building illegally and ordered its removal, stating that only Congress held authority to change the institution's name. The Kennedy Centre removed the letters in June but appealed the ruling. Cooper also issued a temporary block on the proposed two-year closure, which had been scheduled to begin in July after the board voted unanimously in favour in March. The judge had characterised that earlier vote as "ill-informed and seemingly preordained". The board is described as comprised mostly of staunch allies of the president.

The new decisions will require approval by a federal judge. The Kennedy Centre has until next week to present its plan to Cooper. The institution was contacted for comment but did not immediately respond. The Kennedy Centre has become a visible focal point of disputes over presidential authority during Trump's second term.