US judge orders removal of Trump name from Kennedy Center

A US judge has ordered the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the performing arts center in Washington and blocked his administration's plan to close it for renovations. The ruling came after Trump had renamed the venue the "Trump Kennedy Center."

In response to the judge's order, President Trump announced that his administration would transfer control of the Kennedy Center to Congress. He instructed the US Commerce Department to make all necessary arrangements for a full transfer of the institution's operation, maintenance, and management to lawmakers. The specifics of how this directive would be implemented remain unclear.

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The Kennedy Center's organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board's unilateral say-so. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.

US District Judge Christopher Cooper stated that the Kennedy Center's original statute clearly designates it to be named for President Kennedy and that its name cannot be changed without congressional approval. The judge directed the Trump administration to remove all physical signage and official references to the "Trump Kennedy Center" within 14 days.

The lawsuit was brought by Ohio Democratic US Representative Joyce Beatty, who argued that the Kennedy Center belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. The judge's decision does not dictate how the center should be operated but does halt the planned two-year closure, while still allowing for necessary capital repair works.

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The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump.