The Kennedy Center urged a judge not to block its attempt to inscribe President Donald Trump’s name on the venue, arguing the move would not violate federal law. In a court filing, the center described the building as dangerously dilapidated and its finances as being in terminal decline, while saying Trump’s efforts and prestige are the sole hope for its financial survival and structural renewal. The filing linked that claim to $257 million allocated by Congress through the One Big Beautiful Bill for structural improvements. The dispute follows a May ruling by judge Christopher R. Cooper that the center’s board cannot rename the institution because federal law gives Congress, rather than the board of trustees, authority over its name. Former Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter, referred to in the filing as Beatty, has asked the court to block the inscription as an unlawful defiance of Congress and the court. The parties are expected to appear at a Thursday hearing on her motion, while Beatty faces a Wednesday deadline to respond to the center’s latest filing. Separately, a Washington Post investigation reported that ticket sales and donations plunged after the board voted to rename the venue, with projected fiscal 2026 revenue reduced from $220 million to $124 million by May.