Federal Court Blocks Trump’s Attempt to Rename the Kennedy Center

Topline

A federal judge has determined that President Donald Trump cannot affix his name to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., without congressional approval, and has ordered that his name be removed from the building within two weeks. Additionally, the court has halted plans to close the center for renovations.

Key Facts

In a 94-page decision issued on Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper affirmed that the 1964 statute creating the Kennedy Center explicitly reserves its name for President John F. Kennedy and precludes any alternative denomination without congressional consent.

Judge Cooper ruled in support of Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, who sued in December, asserting that the law bars the Kennedy Center board—populated by Trump appointees—to rename the facility unilaterally.

The judgment mandates the removal of Trump’s name from the building’s façade as well as from all official digital and print publications.

The order also suspends the center’s planned two‑year closure for renovations, a measure Trump had announced in February, characterizing the venue as “tired, broken, and dilapidated.”

Cooper concluded that the board’s decision to close the venue rested on a “one‑sided presentation of information” and failed to fully address its statutory responsibilities.

If the board later seeks to close the center for renovations, Cooper stipulated that it must gather sufficient data to reach an “independent decision” that simultaneously preserves the venue’s status as a premier arts institution and fulfills its duty to honor a deceased president.

Key Background

In the preceding year, Trump implemented extensive and contentious reforms at the Kennedy Center, dismissing the existing board and installing allies who subsequently elected him as chair and voted in December to append his name to the venue. Trump has publicly denounced purported “woke” programming, including LGBTQ‑focused performances, stating in February that “some of the shows were terrible” and describing them as “a disgrace.” His takeover prompted backlash from numerous artists, leading to cancellations and the withdrawal of collaborations with figures such as Issa Rae and Shonda Rhimes.

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