A federal judge has ordered that President Trump’s name be removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ruling that Congress alone has the authority to change the institution’s name under the law that created it in 1964. Judge Christopher R. Cooper said the Kennedy Center was established as the “sole national memorial” to President John F. Kennedy in Washington, and that the addition of Trump’s name conflicted with lawmakers’ original intent. He gave the center two weeks to remove the president’s name from the building and official materials.
The decision came in a lawsuit filed by Representative Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, who argued she had been excluded from decision-making by Trump allies. The ruling also temporarily blocked the center from beginning a planned two-year closure for renovations, a move the judge said had been effectively predetermined by the board without a proper independent review.
Trump had embraced the Kennedy Center as part of his broader effort to reshape Washington’s cultural institutions. After returning to office, he removed Biden-era board members and replaced them with allies, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, adviser Dan Scavino and Usha Vance, the wife of the vice president. The board later voted to rename the center the Trump Kennedy Center and began adding his name to the building, website and event signage. But the change sparked backlash from some donors, artists and audience members, along with cancellations and fundraising concerns.
Judge Cooper said the board’s decision-making process on the closure lacked meaningful independence and was based on an “insufficient, one-sided presentation of information.” He directed the board to take another, more serious look if it wants to proceed, and suggested it seek input from programming, fundraising and legal experts. Still, he emphasized that the court’s role was limited and that it would not manage the center’s schedule.
Trump responded angrily on social media, accusing critics of caring more about opposing him than preserving the performing arts center. He also suggested he might abandon involvement with the institution altogether, writing that he had directed the Commerce Department to transfer the Kennedy Center back to Congress so lawmakers could take responsibility for it. It was not immediately clear what role, if any, the Commerce Department would play in such a transfer.
The Kennedy Center, which operates as an independent organization with its own board, still receives federal support for maintenance. Its board has said it will appeal the ruling. A center spokeswoman said leadership remained confident that an appellate court would uphold the board’s decision to recognize Trump’s contributions. For now, the judge’s order leaves the future of the building’s name, governance and planned renovation in dispute.
