Kennedy Center Must Stay Open and Drop Trump's Name, Federal Judge Rules in Sweeping Opinion
A judge recently blocked the Kennedy Center's name change, and it looks like President Donald Trump won't get his way. That is, at least for the time being.
On Friday, May 29, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the Trump administration to remove all signage with the president's name, as well as all references to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the Trump Kennedy Center. The federal judge reportedly ruled that the presdient's name was illegally added to the venue.
Along with instructing the administration to restore the cultural center's original name, he also stopped the upcoming renovation project that was slated to close the building for the next two years.
The federal judge concluded that only an Act of Congress could officially change the name of the Kennedy Center, writing, "The Board of Trustees' December 18, 2025 resolution purporting to rename the Kennedy Center the "Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" the "Trump Kennedy Center," or any variation thereof, is null, void, and without legal effect."
Cooper also added that the Center's Board of Trustees and Trump, "violated the Kennedy Center's organic statute in purporting to rename the Center for President Trump, and in taking steps to effectuate that official renaming, such as installing signage with Donald J. Trump's name on the front portico of the Center," giving the "defendants" 14 days from the order to remove all physical signage, update the Kennedy Center's official website, and withdraw any trademark applications that make reference to the Center as the "Trump Kennedy Center."
Ohio Democratic U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty, who is also a Kennedy Center board member, initiated the lawsuit. Following the court's decision, Beatty issued a public statement, sharing her thoughts on social media: "Today's ruling rightfully affirms that this administration's efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law."
Beatty continued, "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."
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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 5:28 PM.