Trump's Name Must Be Removed From Kennedy Center, Judge Rules

A federal judge has ordered the removal of Donald Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ruling the renaming illegal. U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper mandated the name's removal from the building's facade within two weeks. The judge concluded that the center's board exceeded its legal authority, stating that only Congress, which originally named the center, can change it.

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Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and only Congress can change it.

The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, a board member who opposed the renaming, which was approved by a board of Trump loyalists in December 2025. Beatty argued that the move, along with the disenfranchisement of some board members, was unlawful. "The Kennedy Center belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred monument for his own vanity," Beatty stated.

In addition to nullifying the name change, the decision temporarily blocks plans for a complete two-year closure of the center for renovations. The Trump administration had secured $257 million from Congress for the project, slated to begin in July. The ruling noted that no expert reports recommended a full closure, instead suggesting phased renovations to allow the center to continue operating. The board, according to the judge, failed to conduct a thorough analysis of the closure's impact on programming and staff, neglecting its duty to maintain the center as both a memorial and an active cultural institution.

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The Kennedy Center belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred monument for his own vanity.

Donald Trump responded swiftly on his social media platform Truth Social, attacking Judge Cooper and the "radical left." He accused them of wanting the institution to "DIE" rather than be renovated under his name. Trump announced he had directed the Department of Commerce to begin the process of transferring management of the "failing institution" back to Congress. The future of the Kennedy Center remains chaotic, with programming already canceled and numerous staff members laid off in anticipation of the now-halted closure.

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would rather see that institution DIE than have him renovate it.