A federal judge in Washington has ruled that President Donald Trump's name was illegally added to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ordering its removal from the building's façade and all official materials within two weeks. The ruling, issued Friday by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, also temporarily blocks the Trump administration's plan to close the celebrated performing arts venue for up to two years of major renovations.
Cooper, writing in a 94-page decision, concluded that the Kennedy Center's board of trustees overstepped its legal authority when it voted to rename the institution. "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," he wrote. "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it." The board — packed with Trump loyalists — had voted in December to add the words "The Donald J. Trump and" above the original inscription on the building's marble façade. Cooper also found that the board's March 16 vote to approve the closure was "ill-informed and seemingly preordained," with trustees lacking sufficient information to make a sound decision.
The Kennedy Center, which opened in 1971 as a living memorial to the assassinated President John F. Kennedy and is located on the banks of the Potomac River in the U.S. capital, was established by Congress in 1958. The lawsuit was brought by Representative Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who sits on the board as an ex officio member by virtue of her congressional seat. Beatty welcomed the ruling, saying the center "belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump." Her attorneys called it "a powerful blow against the Trump administration's corruption."
Trump reacted sharply on his Truth Social platform, calling the ruling "shocking" and saying the judge "should be ashamed of himself." He announced he would instruct the Commerce Department to transfer control of the institution back to Congress, adding that without the freedom to oversee its renovation, he had "no interest in continuing." Kennedy Center representatives, meanwhile, said they were confident the ruling would be overturned on appeal and reiterated that the building — which spans 1.5 million square feet and houses ageing equipment including decades-old cooling systems — is in genuine need of restoration. The centre noted that $257 million had already been secured for the project.
The case is part of a broader pattern of legal challenges to Trump's push to reshape Washington's monumental landscape during his second term. His administration has also announced plans for a 76-metre triumphal arch overlooking the Potomac and has already demolished the White House East Wing to build a ballroom — a project that has separately drawn court scrutiny. While Cooper's ruling is a significant setback, the administration is expected to appeal, and judges at the district level are unlikely to have the final word.