Kennedy Center lawyers have ordered staff to strip President Donald Trump’s name from official materials after a federal judge ruled the venue’s board went beyond its authority when it tried to attach his name to the institution. The directive covers signage, email signatures, letterhead, brochures and website pages, and it sets a June 12 deadline for compliance.
The instruction came from the Office of the General Counsel, which told staff to revert to the building’s standard name: “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,” “the Kennedy Center” or “the Center.” The move follows a court order that gave the venue 14 days from May 29 to remove references to the center being named for anyone other than John F. Kennedy.
Court order drives the change
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled last week that the board lacked authority when it voted in December to add Trump’s name. The judge said the board had acted outside its powers, and the center now has to align its public references with that decision.
Even with the internal directive in place, Trump’s name was still visible on the Kennedy Center exterior as of Thursday afternoon. The building’s facade had been updated with his name a day after the board’s vote last year, making the signage dispute one of the most visible parts of the broader legal fight.
Renovation plans also came under scrutiny
Cooper also reviewed the board’s March decision to close the Kennedy Center for two years during a planned $250 million renovation beginning in July. He said the shuttering plan relied on “an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information” and did not account for the full range of statutory obligations.
The judge did not block the board from voting to close the center for a period of time. Instead, he said the board must follow proper procedures before making that kind of decision.
Trump’s role has drawn close attention
Trump has shown a strong interest in the Kennedy Center since returning to office for a second term. He has been involved in programming and events at the venue, including canceling some performances and introducing others.
He also hinted at the naming idea months before the board’s vote, teasing the possibility in a Truth Social post last August. The latest legal order now forces the center to reverse the naming references in its official channels, while the exterior signage remains an unresolved public symbol of the dispute.
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