A federal judge has stopped the Kennedy Center from temporarily shutting down for a long renovation and also barred the arts institution from using President Donald Trump’s name on its building, website, or signage. The ruling centers on the legal name of the venue, with the court saying the board did not have the power to rename it on its own.
US District Judge Casey Cooper said the law that created the Kennedy Center is clear that it was named for President John F. Kennedy. In his 94-page opinion, he wrote that the center “cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so.”
What the court ordered
Cooper directed officials to remove any signage that includes Trump’s name within two weeks. He also ordered the center to update its website and delete references to “Trump Kennedy Center” and the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The judge went further and said the venue is permanently blocked from displaying physical or digital signs that suggest anyone other than John F. Kennedy is the institution’s namesake. That restriction covers the building and its grounds, and it applies to both printed and online materials.
Why the judge rejected the board’s move
The ruling said Congress gave the center its name, and only Congress can change it. Cooper found that the board had acted on its own when it added Trump’s name, without the legal authority to alter the institution’s formal identity.
He also said there was no evidence the board fully considered its legal duties before deciding to close the center entirely during renovations. “There is no evidence that the Board took account of its full range of statutory obligations,” he wrote, adding that the court saw no proof the trustees weighed how the venue would meet its legislative mandate during a closure.
Renovation plans can continue, but closure remains blocked
The judge said the Kennedy Center can still move forward with renovations to the decades-old building. But any decision to shut it down more broadly would need a fuller review of the center’s obligation to keep some programming available at all times.
That leaves the institution in a position where construction work may proceed, while the planned wholesale closure remains blocked for now. The court’s reasoning suggests the board would need to better assess its legal responsibilities before making a shutdown decision.
CNN said it had reached out to the Kennedy Center and the White House for comment. The dispute now leaves the venue facing a court order on its name and public branding, while the broader question of how renovation plans will affect operations remains under judicial scrutiny.
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