A federal judge has ruled that Donald Trump's name must be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., determining that only Congress has the authority to change the institution's official name.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper issued a 94-page opinion on Friday directing the Trump administration to take down all physical signage bearing Trump's name and remove references to a "Trump Kennedy Center" from official materials within 14 days. "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. "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it."
The judge concluded that the Kennedy Center's board overstepped its authority by unilaterally renaming the institution after Trump. Work to remove the signage began in the early hours of Saturday, shortly after the venue missed the Friday deadline.
The dispute stems from Trump's efforts to reshape Washington's cultural institutions after taking office. In February, Trump appointed himself chair of the Kennedy Center's board of trustees, which he described as a "take-over." He replaced board members with his own appointees, and in December the new board voted to add his name to the building.
The lawsuit was brought by Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democratic representative and board member. "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."
The ruling also addressed Trump's proposal to close the Kennedy Center for two years of renovations. Cooper temporarily blocked the closure, stating the board made an "ill-informed and seemingly preordained" decision based on insufficient information and without properly considering the center's statutory obligations.
Trump responded by posting on Truth Social that he had instructed the Department of Commerce to arrange a complete transfer of the Kennedy Center to Congress. He expressed that unless he could lead the institution's restoration, he had no interest in continuing involvement.
The Kennedy Center naming dispute has already had significant consequences. Multiple performing groups canceled bookings in protest, including a run of the Tony award-winning musical Hamilton. The executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra left for another position, and Richard Grenell, a Trump appointee who led efforts to overhaul the institution, stepped down as president in March.
The Kennedy Center receives federal funding and operates as a nonprofit, serving as the nation's premier performing arts venue and a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy.