Judge blocks closure of Kennedy Center, orders removal of Trump's name

Washington — A federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center from temporarily closing its doors during proposed renovations, and ruled that the institution's board acted unlawfully when it added President Trump's name to the building and official title. In a 94-page opinion on Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in favor of Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a member of the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees, who filed a lawsuit challenging the institution's name change and plans to close for two years for extensive repairs beginning this summer. The judge found that the board overstepped its authority by unilaterally renaming the Kennedy Center after Mr. Trump and ordered his name to be removed from "the institution's title, as represented on the façade of the Center, any other physical or digital signage, and official materials." "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," wrote Cooper, who was named to the bench by President Barack Obama. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen in Washington, D.C., on May 16, 2026. …