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Court blocks Trump's Kennedy Center rebranding
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ruled that former President Donald Trump's name must be stripped from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, declaring that only Congress can authorize such a change.
Ruling details
District Judge Christopher Cooper, appointed during the Obama administration, issued a 94-page opinion on Friday ordering the removal of Trump's name from the venue's title, exterior signage, and all official materials within 14 days. The decision also halts plans to temporarily close the center for proposed renovations.
The Kennedy Center's original name-the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts-must be restored, the judge stated, as it was established by Congress in 1971 to honor the assassinated president.
"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," Cooper wrote.
Trump's response and center's appeal
Trump, who had added his name to the institution last year, criticized the ruling on Truth Social, vowing to "work with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them."
"Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into 'NEVER NEVER LAND,'" he wrote.
A Kennedy Center spokesperson confirmed plans to appeal the name-change order and review the renovation ruling. The center had secured $257 million in federal funding, approved by Congress, for restoration efforts.
Legal challenge and fallout
The lawsuit was filed by former trustees, including Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who argued that Trump had unlawfully replaced board members and bypassed voting procedures. The plaintiffs later expanded the suit to challenge the planned two-year closure for renovations, set to begin July 4, 2026.
"Today's ruling rightly affirms that this administration's efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law," Beatty said. "The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump."
Artists canceled performances following the rebranding, and ticket sales declined. The center's full proposed name was The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
Next steps
The Kennedy Center will comply with the 14-day deadline to remove Trump's name while pursuing legal avenues to reverse the decision. The judge's ruling emphasized that congressional approval is required for any permanent name change.
