A federal judge dealt a significant blow to the Trump administration Friday, ruling that the president cannot keep his name on the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and blocking plans to shut down the iconic venue for two years of renovations.
A federal judge rules against the Trump administration, ordering the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center signage.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., ordered the Kennedy Center board to remove Trump’s name from all signage and branding materials within two weeks. The judge found that the board’s March decision to close the center was “poorly considered and seemingly predetermined” and that the board had “exceeded its legal authority” by unilaterally adding Trump’s name to the building.
“Congress conferred the name of the Kennedy Center, and only Congress has the power to alter it,” Judge Cooper stated.
The controversy began in late December 2025 when the Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board voted to rename the venue the “Trump Kennedy Center.” The decision immediately sparked a legal challenge from Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, a board member who filed suit on December 22, 2025.
“The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump,” Beatty said in response to the rebrand.
The ruling came symbolically on President John F. Kennedy’s birthday, adding weight to the decision. The Kennedy Center’s executive director had warned the judge that removing Trump’s name would cause “significant financial harm,” but the court rejected that argument.
The Trump administration now has 14 days to comply with the order. The ruling marks a major legal setback for the administration’s efforts to reshape Washington’s cultural landscape.
