Federal Judge Orders Trump’s Name Removed From Kennedy Center, May 31

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Friday that the Kennedy Center board illegally added President Trump’s name to the building and ordered its removal within 14 days. The judge also blocked a planned two-year closure for renovations starting July 2026. Only Congress can rename the center, Cooper wrote, not the board acting alone.

What the Judge Decided

Judge Cooper ruled the board’s March 16 vote to close the Kennedy Center was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained” with no regard for legal obligations. He also found the board “overstepped its statutory bounds” by adding Trump’s name in December 2025. The judge ordered all signage, websites, and trademark applications bearing Trump’s name removed within 14 days and required sworn proof of compliance.

Cooper wrote: “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.” The center was established by Congress in 1964 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy after his assassination.

How This Case Started

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty filed the lawsuit after Trump’s handpicked board voted to rename the center “The Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Beatty is an ex officio member of the board by virtue of her position in Congress. In February 2026, Trump announced the center would close for renovations, prompting Beatty to amend her lawsuit to block the shutdown.

The court’s ruling permanently halts the renaming effort and the planned July closure.

Trump’s Response and Retreat

Trump initially responded by calling the judge “reckless” and suggesting he could restore the center better than anyone else. However, hours later, he announced he was backing away from the renovation and returning control to Congress. “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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

On Saturday, Trump continued criticizing the decision, calling Judge Cooper an “anti Trump Hater” but did not clarify whether he would continue defending the case in court or remain as board chairman.

What This Means for the Kennedy Center

The ruling preserves the Kennedy Center as a non-partisan cultural institution. Norm Eisen, a former White House ethics lawyer involved in the lawsuit, said artists and audience members are excited about the center returning to “non-partisan normality.” The center will remain open and continue its programming without the planned two-year renovation shutdown.

Ticket sales had declined after Trump took control of the board in February 2025, following his firing of Democratic board members and replacement with his appointees.

Final Thoughts

The court upheld the rule of law by blocking an illegal renaming and closure. The Kennedy Center will remain open under its original Congressional name, protecting a national institution from political takeover.

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