A federal judge has ordered the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, ruling that the venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress.
District Judge Christopher Cooper directed the Trump administration to take down all physical signs bearing Trump’s name and remove any references to a “Trump Kennedy Center” from official materials within 14 days. In his ruling, Judge Cooper said the Kennedy Center’s enabling legislation makes clear that the venue is named for President Kennedy and that its board cannot unilaterally change the name.
“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote in a 94-page opinion. The judge also temporarily blocked the centre from closing this summer for proposed renovations, calling the board’s decision to halt operations “ill-informed and seemingly preordained”.
The lawsuit was brought by Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a board member by virtue of her congressional position. She welcomed the ruling, stating: “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.”
Trump had sparked controversy by appointing himself chair of the board in February, purging it and replacing members with his own appointees. The board voted to add his name in December. Following the ruling, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would seek to transfer ownership of the centre to Congress. Several artists and performing groups, including the musical Hamilton, cancelled bookings in protest of the changes.
