WASHINGTON — A federal judge ordered the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, ruling that the Washington cultural institution cannot be formally renamed without approval from Congress.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper directed the Trump administration and Kennedy Center officials to remove physical signage bearing Trump’s name and eliminate references to a “Trump Kennedy Center” from official materials within 14 days, according to the court ruling. The decision also halted plans to close the center for up to two years for renovations.
“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,” Cooper wrote in the ruling. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
The case was brought by Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, who challenged a decision by the Kennedy Center’s board to add Trump’s name to the institution. Beatty argued that the board lacked legal authority to alter the federally established name of the center without congressional action.
The Kennedy Center, originally established by Congress in 1958 and renamed in honor of President John F. Kennedy after his assassination, has long operated as a national performing arts venue and memorial. According to court filings, the board voted in late 2025 to rename the institution the “Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The dispute followed broader changes at the center after Trump returned to office in 2025. The administration replaced several board members and advanced plans for extensive renovations that would have required a prolonged closure of the venue. The proposed changes prompted legal challenges and criticism from some artists, preservation advocates and members of the Kennedy family.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said the institution believed the ruling would ultimately be overturned on appeal, according to Axios. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment from several news organizations following the decision.
In a statement issued after the ruling, Trump criticized the court decision and indicated he would explore transferring operational control of the Kennedy Center to Congress. Details of any such proposal remain unclear.
As of Saturday, no appeal had been publicly announced, and the court’s order requiring the removal of Trump’s name remained in effect.
