Tarp Covering Kennedy Center Facade Must Stay, DOJ Argues in Court

The tarp covering the Kennedy Center facade must remain as part of ongoing construction activities following the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the building, Justice Department attorneys argued in a recent court filing.

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Removal of the scaffolding and tarp obscuring the storied venue’s marquee will depend on the extent of required repairs, the government attorneys wrote in a Tuesday status report to the federal judge that ordered Trump’s name removed in May.

“Center management has erected one portion of this necessary scaffolding, which it used to remove President Trump’s name from the building’s facade,” the filing states. “The protective barrier around the scaffolding was and is a necessary element of the ongoing construction activities at the Center.”

The explanation comes days after the Kennedy Center’s board took a second swing at honoring the president by name, voting to carve “Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” below the official inscription honoring Kennedy. The would also name the grounds of the center the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”

The board also voted on Aug. 13 to shut down the center for two years to carry out an extensive $250 million renovation project.

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The legal team representing ex officio member Rep. Joyce Beatty shot back at the DOJ’s assertions in the same report, calling it a “pretextual justification.”

“Congress established the Center as a tribute to President Kennedy,” Beatty’s attorneys wrote. “His name should once again be visible on the façade and Defendants’ childish refusal to accept this Court’s ruling to that effect should end now.”

They’re asking the court to demand further explanation on why the tarp shouldn’t be removed within 30 days.

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