A federal appeals court in Washington is set to take up the dispute over the naming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, after a three-judge panel denied a request to restore President Donald Trump's name pending appeal. The litigation centers on control of the taxpayer-supported institution.

The Kennedy Center's leadership had asked the court to reinstate Trump's name to a portion of the complex while it challenged a lower-court ruling. The three-judge panel rejected that request on Thursday, leaving the naming change in place as the broader case proceeds through the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The naming dispute stems from Trump's 2025 overhaul of the center's board, when he installed loyalists and named himself chairman. Critics, including several performers and former trustees, argued the moves politicized an institution that has historically operated with bipartisan governance. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the naming decision exceeded the board's authority.

Attorneys for the Kennedy Center said they would press ahead with the appeal and were reviewing further options after the panel's denial. A spokesperson for the institution said the leadership remained confident in its legal position. Opponents of the naming welcomed the ruling as a check on executive influence over the arts.

The case has become a flashpoint over the reach of presidential control at federally chartered cultural bodies. Legal scholars at Georgetown University Law Center have said the outcome could shape how much latitude appointed boards hold over such institutions.