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A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from closing the Kennedy Center for renovations and ruled that adding Donald Trump’s name to the cultural venue was illegal without congressional approval. The ruling came amid lawsuits challenging the renovation and renaming plans.
A file image shows newly added lettering of U.S. President Donald Trump’s name on the façade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a day after its board announced it would rename the institution the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.(REUTERS)A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Friday (local time) ruled that US President Donald Trump's name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations.
District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center board's vote on 16 March to close the facility was "ill-informed and seemingly preordained" with no regard for its legal obligations.
Cooper wrote, "The trustees might have assessed the propriety of closure in a number of prudent ways. This was not one." He also concluded that the Kennedy Center's board "overstepped its statutory bounds" by unilaterally adding Trump's name to the center, adding that Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and that the right to change it lies with Congress only.
Kennedy Center defends Trump naming
Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, Roma Daravi, said earlier today that the institution is “confident that on appeal the court will uphold the Board’s will to recognize President Trump’s historic contributions to our nation’s cultural center.” She said the decision would be reviewed “carefully.”
She further said, "Though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges," and added, “With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place, and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”
Lawsuits challenge Kennedy Center renovation project
Cooper held hearings in late April for parallel lawsuits challenging the project. While one was filed by a group of cultural and historic preservation organizations, the other was filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves as an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board. He ruled in favor of Beatty’s request but rejected the other challenge.
The plaintiffs are worried that Trump and his board allies will violate preservation rules designed to maintain the center's historic fabric. In previous statements during court hearings, attorneys for Beatty and the preservation groups raised concerns regarding the limited scope of the project, pointing to Trump's statements that he would “fully expose” the building’s steel skeleton. The Ohio Democrat said that she was "very fearful that we’ll see what happened with the East Wing and what happened with the Rose Garden” if the center is closed and the renovations are allowed unsupervised, referring to major changes that Trump has made at the White House since he returned in January last year.
Trump sued over Kennedy Center renaming
In December last year, Beatty sued Trump for adding his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts allegedly without any approval from Congress. She accused the US President of flouting the law to satisfy his “vanity.” The new sign now says “The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Justice Dept backs renovation plans for Kennedy Center
Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys said that renovation plans for the Kennedy Center are limited in scope but well within the board's authority to implement without needing outside approvals.
Trump, a Republican, has taken a keen interest in the Kennedy Center’s operations since he returned to the White House last year. He installed a handpicked board that named him chairman. His name was added to the façade of a building that is considered a living monument to President John F. Kennedy.
List of things Trump named after himself
Surprisingly, the Kennedy Center is not the only building that has seen rebranding to include the US President's name. Here's a list of the assets that have been renamed after Trump:
- The US Institute of Peace has now been renamed the Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace.
2. Trump-class battleships
3. Trump Gold Card visa
4. A gold coin bearing Trump in honour of the country's 250th anniversary.
5. Trump dollar bills
6. TrumpRx.gov, a self-pay prescription drug website that offers coupons that people can take to the pharmacy where they fill their prescriptions.
7. Trump accounts
8. TrumpIRA.gov
9. Trump's image on the Interior Department's annual park pass
10. Trump's image featured on some American passports
11. Palm Beach Airport to be renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that the administration is also pushing to bring Trump's portrait to the $250 bill in view of the country's 250th anniversary. If approved, he will become the first living US President to be featured on the nation's currency.
(With AP inputs)
Key Takeaways
- Legal authority over the naming of public institutions lies with Congress, not individual boards.
- The ruling highlights the tension between political influence and cultural preservation in American institutions.
- Concerns exist over the impact of renovations on the historical integrity of significant landmarks.
About the Author
Swati Gandhi
Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.
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