Maria Shriver Says Kennedy Center Decision to Remove Donald Trump’s Name Would Be a “Great Birthday Gift” for JFK
Maria Shriver marked what she described as “a great birthday gift” for her late uncle, President John F. Kennedy, after a federal judge ruled against President Donald Trump and the Kennedy Center on Friday, May 29, 2026, which would have been JFK’s 109th birthday. Shriver, the daughter of Kennedy’s younger sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, reacted on X to U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s decision that Trump’s name must be removed from the Kennedy Center and that planned renovation work could not proceed as scheduled.
In her post, Shriver said the ruling was an “appropriate birthday present” on her uncle’s birthday. She wrote that the judge found Trump and the Kennedy Center Board had acted unlawfully in renaming the institution, adding that only Congress has the authority to change the Kennedy Center’s name. She also noted that the judge blocked the planned two-year closure tied to the renovation project. While she acknowledged that an appeal is likely and that the matter is not fully resolved, she said that for the moment it was worth celebrating.
Judge Cooper, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued a 94-page opinion concluding that actions taken by the Kennedy Center’s board violated the law governing the institution. According to the ruling, Trump’s name must be removed within 14 days. The court also halted renovation plans that would have shut down the Kennedy Center for two years.
Shriver’s comments added a personal and symbolic dimension to a legal dispute that has drawn attention because of the Kennedy family connection to the cultural center named after President Kennedy. Her post referenced the timing of the decision on JFK’s birthday, framing the court ruling as a meaningful gesture in the family’s view.
The Kennedy Center has also been at the center of broader political and cultural tensions. The ruling came amid reports that several artists had withdrawn from Trump’s “Freedom 250” concert, adding to the controversy surrounding the event and the institution.
Shriver’s post quickly circulated as part of the response to the decision, with her message emphasizing both the legal outcome and the personal significance of the date. The case is expected to continue if an appeal is filed, but for now the judge’s ruling stands as a major setback for Trump’s naming effort and renovation plans at one of the nation’s best-known performing arts institutions.
