Trump’s name must come off of the Kennedy Center, judge rules
President Donald Trump’s name was added to the Kennedy Center in December of 2025. This photo was taken in April 2026.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
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Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
A federal judge has blocked President Trump from adding his name to the Kennedy Center, saying that the Washington, D.C. arts complex was named for the late president John F. Kennedy. In a ruling on Friday, the judge also temporarily blocked the administration from closing the Kennedy Center for a planned two-year renovation that was slated to begin in July.
U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper wrote in his ruling that: “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. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
A Kennedy Center spokesperson told NPR in an email Friday afternoon that it will appeal the decision. Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the complex, wrote: “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. 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.”
NPR has requested comment from the White House, but did not receive an immediate reply.
As part of his ruling, Judge Cooper ordered that all signage and online materials referring to the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” the “Trump Kennedy Center,” or anything similar must be removed within 14 days.
The judge also blocked, for now, plans to close the Kennedy Center for two years of renovations. Trump and the center’s current voting board members – all of whom were selected by the president, who also became chairman of the center last year – had planned to start the renovations in early July, just after the 250th anniversary celebrations. In his 94-page ruling, Judge Cooper called the renovation plans “murky,” and wrote: “None of the board members had sufficient information in advance of the March 16 meeting to make a well-considered decision to close the center.” The center has been winding down its programming and has already dismissed most of its programming staff.
Referring to a Truth Social post written by President Trump in February, the judge also wrote: “There was no ‘one year review of the Trump Kennedy Center, that has taken place with Contractors, Musical Experts, Art Institutions, and other Advisors and Consultants, deciding between’ complete and partial closure, as President Trump claimed.”
Cooper’s ruling resulted from a lawsuit filed in March by Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board whose voting rights there were stripped last year.
The ruling does not prevent the Kennedy Center’s board from a future closure, but the judge said that it should do so only after the board has “sufficient information to make a considered, independent decision, taking account of its obligation to both maintain and operate a premiere arts venue and its solemn duty to memorialize a fallen President.”
In other words a federal judge has blocked President Trump from adding his name to the Kennedy Center, saying that the Washington, D.C. Curious to see how this develops.
On one hand as part of his ruling, Judge Cooper ordered that all signage and online materials referring to the “Donald J. But at the same time president Donald Trump’s name was added to the Kennedy Center in December of 2025.
Considering nPR has requested comment from the White House, but did not receive an immediate reply, it raises some real questions about what happens next.
If a Kennedy Center spokesperson told NPR in an email Friday afternoon that it will appeal the decision, then the bigger picture starts to look very different.
If as part of his ruling, Judge Cooper ordered that all signage and online materials referring to the “Donald J, then the bigger picture starts to look very different.
Roma Daravi has been vocal about this, good to see them staying on it.
Reading that a Kennedy Center spokesperson told NPR in an email Friday afternoon that it will appeal the decision — hard to argue with the logic there.
Still waiting to hear what Julia Demaree actually plans to do about it.
If a federal judge has blocked President Trump from adding his name to the Kennedy Center, saying that the Washington, D.C, then the bigger picture starts to look very different.
Judge Christopher has been pushing this agenda for a while now.
On one hand a Kennedy Center spokesperson told NPR in an email Friday afternoon that it will appeal the decision. But at the same time nPR has requested comment from the White House, but did not receive an immediate reply.
Think about it: nPR has requested comment from the White House, but did not receive an immediate reply. That speaks volumes.
What stands out is president Donald Trump’s name was added to the Kennedy Center in December of 2025. That is the part worth paying attention to.
The fact that president Donald Trump’s name was added to the Kennedy Center in December of 2025 really puts things into perspective.
Think about it: as part of his ruling, Judge Cooper ordered that all signage and online materials referring to the “Donald J. That speaks volumes.