WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Friday denied a last-minute request to pause a ruling ordering the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, upholding a deadline for the change by the end of the day.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper rejected the Kennedy Center board’s effort to stay his earlier order, which found that the addition of Trump’s name to the facility was unlawful because Congress established the center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
The ruling requires the removal of references to “Trump” from the building’s exterior facade, website, branding and other materials. Scaffolding was erected at the center as crews prepared to take down the lettering, according to reports from the scene.
Cooper issued the initial order on May 29 following lawsuits filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board, and a coalition of cultural and preservation groups. The suits challenged actions by the Trump-appointed board, which in December 2025 voted to rename the venue the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” or “Trump Kennedy Center.”
In his opinion, Cooper wrote that “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” according to court records cited by multiple outlets. He gave the center 14 days to comply with the removal of the added name elements.
The Kennedy Center’s leadership, including its general counsel, had directed staff in a memo to update email signatures, letterheads, signage, brochures and website pages to reflect the original name by Friday, June 12. References to Trump were already removed from the center’s website earlier in the week.
Late Thursday, the board filed a request for a stay, which Cooper denied on Friday. The institution has appealed the decision, with further court action possible.
A spokeswoman for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House and Department of Justice, which had also sought to challenge aspects of the order, had no immediate statement on the latest ruling.
The dispute centers on the center’s status as a federally chartered institution created by Congress in 1964 as a living memorial to Kennedy. The board’s renaming followed Trump’s influence over the institution in his second term.
The center has received congressional funding, including $258 million for repairs to issues such as rusted beams, with ongoing work that does not involve a full shutdown, according to reports.
As of Friday evening, work to remove the name from the facade was underway amid public interest near the site. Details on the precise timing of completion remained unclear pending final execution of the order. The legal proceedings continue.
