U.S. Judge orders removal of Trump’s name from Kennedy Center; blocks closure

Published 30 May 2026 · politics

A Federal Judge ruled on Friday (May 29, 2026) that President Donald Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration

A Federal Judge ruled on Friday (May 29, 2026) that President Donald Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations – the latest legal setback for Mr. Trump’s efforts to leave his personal mark on the landscape of the nation’s capital. Trump said in response that he is backing away from his proposed renovation and returning control of the arts institution to Congress. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Kennedy Center board’s March 16 vote to close the facility was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained” with no regard for its legal obligations. The administration had announced the work would begin in July and last approximately two years, but Mr. Cooper’s ruling halts those plans for now. “The trustees might have assessed the propriety of closure in a number of prudent ways. This was not one,” he wrote. Cooper also concluded that the board “overstepped its statutory bounds” by unilaterally adding Mr. Trump’s name to the centre. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” he said. The Judge, who was nominated to the Bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, ordered the defendants to remove Mr. Trump’s name from the institution’s façade and any “official materials”, such as digital or physical signs, within two weeks. “May the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts be renamed absent Congressional authorisation? The answer, plain from the face of the statute, is no. Nor can any other individual be memorialised on the front portico of the building,” Mr. Cooper wrote. Trump said the Judge “should be ashamed of himself” in a social media post hours after the decision was issued.

“Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else and 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,” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The Republican President said he has instructed his administration to “make all necessary arrangements” to have the centre transferred to Congress. Trump is determined to leave his mark on DC Trump has made it a priority of his second term to leave his personal stamp on some of the most historic spots in Washington. He demolished the East Wing of the White House to build a ballroom. His name or image has been added to government buildings, including the U.S. Institute of Peace and Justice Department headquarters. He is pushing for a triumphal arch overlooking the Potomac river. Opponents have challenged other Mr. Trump construction projects in court — and won favourable rulings. But the district court judges likely will not have the final say as the administration pursues appeals. Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s Vice-President of public relations, said on Friday (May 29, 2026) that the institution is “confident that on appeal, the court will uphold the Board’s will to recognise President Trump’s historic contributions to our nation’s cultural centre”. She said the decision would be reviewed “carefully”. “Though the reality remains — the centre 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.” Cooper held hearings in late April for parallel lawsuits challenging the project.