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A federal judge on Friday blocked plans to temporarily close the Kennedy Center for renovations and ordered President Donald Trump’s name removed from the institution’s official title, ruling that the center’s board exceeded its legal authority.
In a sweeping 94-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in favor of Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who challenged the Kennedy Center board’s decision to rename the institution and shut it down for a two-year renovation project beginning later this summer.
Cooper found that the board acted unlawfully when it voted to rename the institution “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” writing that Congress — not the board — has sole authority over the center’s official name.
“The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so,” Cooper wrote. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
The ruling orders Trump’s name removed from the building façade, official signage, digital materials and other public branding associated with the institution.
The judge also sharply criticized the board’s decision to temporarily close the Kennedy Center during the proposed renovation period, calling the process “ill-informed and seemingly preordained.”
“More specifically, the Board based its decision on an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information and neglected to consider the full range of its statutory obligations and potential adverse consequences of closure on programming and memorial functions,” Cooper wrote.
Still, the judge stopped short of blocking renovation work altogether, acknowledging that extensive repairs to the building are “sorely needed.” Cooper said the board could revisit the issue and potentially approve a closure in the future if it properly evaluates the consequences and legal obligations involved.
The judge also ruled the board unlawfully stripped Beatty — an ex officio board member through her role in Congress — of her voting rights during a March meeting where trustees approved the closure plan following this summer’s July 4 celebrations.
Trump responded angrily to the ruling Friday evening, attacking Cooper in a Truth Social post and suggesting he may step away from his efforts to overhaul the Kennedy Center.
“Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into ‘NEVER NEVER LAND,’” Trump wrote.
The president said he would direct the Commerce Department to work with Congress on transferring operational control of the Kennedy Center back to lawmakers.
Beatty praised the ruling, saying Trump had improperly tried to turn the institution into a political project.
“Today’s ruling rightly affirms that this administration’s efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law,” Beatty said in a statement. “The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump.”
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said the institution plans to appeal the ruling and defended the decision to honor Trump.
“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,” spokesperson Roma Daravi said.
The Justice Department also defended the administration’s efforts, saying it would continue backing Trump’s attempts to reshape the center.
Trump dramatically reshaped the Kennedy Center earlier in his second term by replacing several board members with political allies and senior administration officials. The newly restructured board later elected Trump as chair and removed longtime Kennedy Center leadership, eventually installing former ambassador Ric Grenell to lead the institution before naming Matt Floca as his successor.
The effort triggered widespread backlash from artists and performers, with several canceling planned appearances at the center in protest.
