A federal judge rejected a last-minute request from the Kennedy Center to delay the removal of former President Trump's name from the Washington performing arts venue. The decision keeps a previous court order in place, requiring the name be taken down within 14 days.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that only Congress has the authority to change the Kennedy Center's official name. In his 94-page opinion, Cooper wrote that the Kennedy Center's founding law "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."
The judge found that the Kennedy Center's board of trustees overstepped its legal authority when it voted to add Trump's name to the facility. "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," Cooper stated.
Following the ruling, workers set up scaffolding at the Kennedy Center building to prepare for the physical removal of Trump's name from signage and official materials. The work was expected to be completed before the 14-day deadline established by the court.
In response to the decision, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he would work with Congress to transfer ownership of the Kennedy Center to the federal government. "I have instructed the Department of Commerce to make all necessary arrangements with Congress to allow a full and complete transfer of this Institution," he wrote.
The lawsuit was filed by Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democratic representative and member of the Kennedy Center's board. She welcomed the ruling, stating that "this administration's efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law." Beatty emphasized that the Kennedy Center "belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump."
The naming controversy began after Trump took office and appointed himself chair of the Kennedy Center's board of trustees in February. He then removed existing board members and replaced them with his appointees. In December, the restructured board voted to add Trump's name to the institution.
The move sparked significant backlash from the arts community. The Tony Award-winning musical "Hamilton" canceled its scheduled run, and other performing groups protested the decision. The executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra resigned to take a position elsewhere, and Richard Grenell, a Trump appointee who played a key role in the board overhaul, stepped down as president.
The Kennedy Center receives federal funding and operates as the nation's premier performing arts venue. It has traditionally maintained bipartisan support, though it has become increasingly tied to the Trump administration's cultural agenda during his presidency.