The federal court has ordered President Donald Trump’s name removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ruling that the board overreached when it renamed the landmark. The decision says only Congress can change the Center’s official name, and it requires removal of all signage and references to the Trump-Kennedy Center while the legal fight continues. The ruling has prompted sharp reactions from the president, his team, and lawmakers, and an appeal is expected.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper concluded the board exceeded its authority by trying to rename the building without Congressional action. “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.”
Practically speaking, the ruling forces the Trump administration to remove physical signage and erase references to the Trump-Kennedy Center from official materials. That means signs, brochures, and any formal branding will have to be taken down or altered while the case proceeds. The judgment is narrowly focused on naming authority rather than on the broader renovation plans tied to the center.
President Trump blasted the decision and the judge in a post on Truth Social, framing the move as partisan obstruction of a renovation effort. “I took great pride in taking over a losing Institution, and looked forward to making it into a Great and Prestigious WINNER for Washington, D.C., and indeed, the United States of America,” Trump wrote.. “Unfortunately, Judge Cooper and the Radical Left would rather see it DIE than have President Trump transform it into something that everyone could be proud of.” That post underscores how the dispute has become a flashpoint in the larger culture and political fights of the moment.
Representatives of the Kennedy Center’s leadership said they will appeal the ruling and emphasize the need for urgent repairs. “We will review the decision carefully though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi said. “With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”
The legal challenge was brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty, who argued the renaming and planned closure lacked legal basis and threatened the memorial status of the Kennedy Center. “Today’s ruling rightly affirms that this administration’s efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law,” Beatty said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred memorial for his own vanity. I am proud to have fought for the rule of law and to protect this sacred institution.”
The case sits against a backdrop of funding and a planned rehabilitation, which President Trump tied to a secured $257 million appropriation. That money was included in broader legislation and is designated for maintenance, repairs, security, and capital projects related to the building and site. The judge previously denied a preservation group’s request for an injunction that would have stopped a planned two-year closure for rehabilitation work, so the dispute mixes procedural questions with urgent facilities concerns.
Trump has repeatedly argued the building is in dire shape and that his intervention was meant to save the institution rather than politicize it. “Based on the fact that the Radical Left Democrats care more about opposing your favorite President, ME, than saving a dying Performing Arts Center, almost all of which lose large amounts of money throughout the Country, we are going to be working with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them so they can make a determination as to what to do with it,” wrote Trump. He also pointed to structural reports and argued that the judge ignored expert testimony: “But he was not ‘swayed,’ and said he wants the Building to, incredibly, remain open and, therefore, dangerous,” Trump said. “Judge Cooper should be ashamed of himself!”
The controversy began after the Kennedy Center’s board voted unanimously last December to add Trump’s name and later elected him chairman following a shake-up that removed 18 trustees appointed by Joe Biden. Board members who supported the change defended their decision as a necessary step to secure funding and to address a long-standing maintenance backlog. The board now plans to pursue every legal option to restore the name and advance the rehabilitation plan while the court process plays out.
