Federal Judge Orders Removal of President Trump’s Name From Kennedy Center, Citing Congressional Mandate

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump from adding his name to the Kennedy Center, ruling that the Washington, D.C., arts complex was named for the late President John F. Kennedy. The decision, issued on Friday, also temporarily halts the administration’s plan to close the center for a two-year renovation originally scheduled to begin in July. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper wrote that the center’s organic statute makes “crystal clear” that it must bear only President Kennedy’s name, and that Congress alone has the authority to change it.

Judge’s Ruling on Naming Dispute

In his ruling, Judge Cooper stated: “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.” The order requires all signage and online materials referencing the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” the “Trump Kennedy Center,” or any similar designation to be removed within 14 days. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed in March by Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board whose voting rights were stripped last year.

Renovation Plans Temporarily Blocked

The judge also blocked, for now, plans to close the Kennedy Center for two years of renovations. Trump and the center’s current voting board members—all of whom were selected by the president, who became chairman of the center last year—had aimed to begin the renovations in early July, just after the 250th anniversary celebrations. In his 94-page ruling, Judge Cooper described the renovation plans as “murky” and wrote: “None of the board members had sufficient information in advance of the March 16 meeting to make a well-considered decision to close the center.” The center has been winding down its programming and has already dismissed most of its programming staff.

Discrepancy Over Trump’s Claims

Referring to a Truth Social post written by President Trump in February, the judge also wrote: “There was no ‘one year review of the Trump Kennedy Center, that has taken place with Contractors, Musical Experts, Art Institutions, and other Advisors and Consultants, deciding between’ complete and partial closure, as President Trump claimed.” Cooper’s ruling does not prevent the Kennedy Center’s board from pursuing a future closure, but the judge said it should do so only after the board has “sufficient information to make a considered, independent decision, taking account of its obligation to both maintain and operate a premiere arts venue and its solemn duty to memorialize a fallen President.”

Response From Kennedy Center and White House

A Kennedy Center spokesperson told NPR in an email Friday afternoon that it will appeal the decision. Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the complex, wrote: “We will review the decision carefully though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges. With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.” NPR has requested comment from the White House but did not receive an immediate reply.

Context

This case echoes other high-profile naming disputes over federally designated memorials. In 2020, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from removing protections for the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, citing Congress’s authority over national monument designations. Similarly, in 2017, a court upheld the naming of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall, ruling that only Congress could alter the official designation.