A federal judge has ruled against the President donald trumpName of John F. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must move — and members of the Kennedy family are celebrating the decision.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper issued a 94-page ruling in May 2026, finding that only Congress has the power to change the name of a federally chartered Washington, D.C., institution. This decision temporarily blocked plans to close the venue for two years for a reported renovation, leaving the future of the building in uncertainty.
Trump appointed himself chair of the Kennedy Center in his second term as president, beginning in January 2025. He also replaced the entire board of trustees, who later voted to rename the theater “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Keep scrolling to know more:
President Donald Trump has even more plans for the Kennedy Center after working to rename the historic site. “The Trump Kennedy Center will close on July 4, 2026, in honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary, after which we will begin building a new and spectacular entertainment complex together,” Trump, 79, wrote via Truth (…).
Explanation of judge’s decision
In May 2026, a judge ruled that Trump and the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees committed illegal acts When he added the President’s name to the venue, which Congress had earlier dedicated to the President john f kennedy In 1964 – a year after his assassination.
“The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes absolutely clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and that it may not bear any other formal name or public memorial at the discretion of the Board,” Cooper wrote in his decision. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
The judge also blocked Trump’s plan to close the venue for two years, which was originally scheduled to begin in July 2026, to coincide with the country’s 250th anniversary. Cooper found that “no board member had sufficient information prior to the March 16 meeting to make an informed decision to close the center.” new York Times. He left the door open for the board to reconsider closing if it independently considered “its multiple obligations to the center in a prudent manner.”
Kennedy Center staff asked to clean up Trump references
Kennedy Center staff were told in a June 4, 2026 memo obtained by POLITICO Remove Trump’s name from internal and public-facing materials.
“You must immediately change email signatures, letterhead and other documents to reflect the name ‘The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ or ‘Kennedy Center,'” the memo reads. “Other changes, such as templates and forms, signage, brochures and website pages, must be completed no later than Friday, June 12, 2026.”
According to the Associated Press, Trump’s name was quietly removed from the center’s official website, voicemails and YouTube channel in the days before the memo.
“We are complying with the court order while evaluating all legal options to preserve this revival and recognize President Trump’s leadership,” a Kennedy Center spokesperson said in a statement.
On June 13, 2026, construction workers were seen removing Trump’s name from the front of the building.
Maria Shriver and Jack Schlossberg celebrate the verdict
JFK’s niece Shriver announced the decision. a birthday present” For his late uncle, who would have been 109 the day Cooper issued his decision.
“A fitting birthday gift today on my uncle’s birthday. A federal judge ruled that President Trump and the Kennedy Center board acted unlawfully in renaming the Kennedy Center after him,” Shriver wrote via Threads in May 2026.
JFK’s grandson, Schlossberg, wrote in an even more strident tone, via
Donald Trump reacted to the judge’s decision
The president criticized Cooper’s decision in a lengthy Truth Social post and accused the judge — a president — of Barack Obama The appointee is vowing to take the building out of his hands completely by putting pressure on Congress – of bias.
“Shockingly, Christopher Cooper, a judge appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, has ruled that the Kennedy Center, which was scheduled to close in early July for massive renovations and construction due to years of neglect, decay and poor maintenance, and which is to be transformed by the Trump Administration into the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the world, is not allowed to be closed for these renovations,” Trump wrote, claiming he had instructed the Commerce Department. “Make all necessary arrangements” for the transfer of control. Kennedy Center returns to Congress.
Kennedy Center Board of Trustees files appeal
Board of Trustees voted Seek a stay on Cooper’s order In June 2026, the argument for reversing the name change would be “useless for the Center and confusing for the public”.
Roma Daravi“With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we are committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure that the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy,” the Trump Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations said in a statement.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
Leave a Reply