US Judge Orders The Removal Of President Trump’s Name From Kennedy Center Title/Image@ BBC
A federal judge in the United States has ruled that the name of President Donald Trump must be removed from the title of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The decision, made on Friday, states that any renaming of the venue requires congressional approval, also preventing the center’s temporary closure during proposed renovations.
Under the ruling, President Trump’s name must be eliminated from all signage and official materials within 14 days.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center announced plans to appeal the decision.
In response, President Trump stated on social media that he intends to “work with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them.”
He expressed his frustration on Truth Social, saying, “Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into ‘NEVER NEVER LAND.'”
Last year, President Trump initiated the addition of his name to the institution as part of broader rebranding efforts in the capital.
In February 2025, he replaced several board members and appointed himself as a trustee before being elected as chairman.
In December, the board voted to rename the venue, promptly installing new signage featuring Trump’s full name on the center’s front portico.
However, these changes led to cancellations from artists scheduled to perform and a decline in ticket sales.
In February, President Trump announced plans for a two-year closure of the venue for extensive renovations starting on July 4, 2026, coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Board member, Joyce Beatty, a Democratic congresswoman from Ohio, along with other former trustees, filed a lawsuit challenging Trump’s actions, claiming they were deprived of their voting rights regarding board decisions.
The lawsuit was later amended to contest the proposed venue closure.
”Today’s ruling rightly affirms that this administration’s efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law,” Beatty stated.
”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.”
In a statement to CBS News, Roma Daravi, a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center, expressed confidence that the court would uphold the board’s intention to honor President Trump’s contributions to the cultural landmark.
Daravi also indicated that they would review the judge’s ruling concerning the renovation closure.
”The reality remains that the Center requires urgent and significant restoration, a fact even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi noted.
”With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, we are committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans.”
The venue’s full title was intended to be The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
However, District Judge, Christopher Cooper’s order will revert its name back to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, as it was originally designated when it opened in 1971 in memory of the assassinated president.
”The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes it 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 in a 94-page opinion.
”Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong