Washington, D.C. — A federal judge has temporarily blocked efforts to rename the Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump and the center’s board sought to add his name to the iconic performing arts institution.
In a ruling issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper found that federal law clearly designates the venue as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and that only Congress has the authority to change its official name.
“The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy,” Cooper wrote. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
The ruling also temporarily halts plans to close the center for a two-year renovation project that had been scheduled to begin in July. Trump and board members appointed by his administration had approved the closure as part of a broader restoration effort funded by $257 million approved by Congress.
Cooper questioned the decision-making process behind the proposed closure, writing that board members lacked sufficient information to make an informed decision. The judge ordered the removal within 14 days of signage and online references to names such as “Trump Kennedy Center” or “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The Kennedy Center said it plans to appeal the ruling. The lawsuit was filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who challenged actions taken by the center’s current leadership.
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