A federal judge has ordered the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center and blocked a two-year closure for renovations, ruling the actions were outside the board’s legal authority.
In a significant legal defeat for the administration, a federal judge has blocked the planned two-year closure of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and ruled that the recent addition of President Donald Trump’s name to the historic venue was unlawful.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, in a sweeping 94-page opinion issued on Friday, May 29, concluded that the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees exceeded its statutory authority by unilaterally renaming the institution. The court ordered that all physical signage bearing the President’s name, along with any digital references in official materials, must be removed within 14 days.
“Congress Gave the Center Its Name”
The ruling centers on the legal standing of the Kennedy Center, which serves as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Judge Cooper was explicit in his reasoning, noting that the institution’s organic statute is clear: the facility was named by Congress, and consequently, only Congress possesses the power to alter that title.
“May the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts be renamed absent Congressional authorization? The answer, plain from the face of the statute, is no,” Judge Cooper wrote.
The lawsuit was brought by U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), a member of the Center’s Board of Trustees, who argued that the renaming and the proposed two-year shutdown for “renovations” were part of an effort to reshape the monument for the President’s personal vanity.
A Halt to the Shutdown
Beyond the naming dispute, the injunction halts the administration’s plans to close the venue beginning in July. The court found that the Board’s March 16 vote to shutter the facility was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained,” lacking a prudent assessment of the impact on the center’s programming and memorial obligations.
While the ruling stops the current closure plan, Judge Cooper clarified that he is not prohibiting the center from conducting necessary repairs, particularly those required to address long-standing issues like water intrusion. The board remains free to revisit the closure decision, provided they follow a more transparent and balanced review process.
The President’s Response
President Trump criticized the decision in a series of social media posts, labelling the judge as someone who “should be ashamed of himself”. Shortly after the ruling, the President indicated he would seek to transfer the institution entirely to Congress, stating he has no interest in continuing the project under the court’s current limitations.
Representatives for the Kennedy Center expressed disappointment with the decision, with vice president of public relations Roma Daravi stating the institution is “confident that on appeal the court will uphold the Board’s will to recognize President Trump’s historic contributions”.
For now, however, the performing arts center remains under its original name, and the planned two-year silence in its performance halls has been averted.
