President of the United States TrumpDonald Trump previously renamed the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as "Trump-JFK CenterThe Trump Kennedy Center was scheduled to close for two years for major renovations starting this summer. However, a federal court ruled on Friday (May 29) that this was illegal, opposing the board's unilateral change and ordering the removal of all related signs within 14 days, and suspending the planned two-year renovation.
According to multiple media reports, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper upheld a lawsuit filed by Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty. Beatty, who is also an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center's board of directors, questioned whether the Trump administration's decisions to rename and close the center exceeded its legal authority.
In his 94-page opinion, Cooper argued that regulations clearly stipulated the center must be named after President Kennedy, and the board had no authority to arbitrarily assign it another official name or make any commemorative changes. "Congress granted this name, and only Congress can change it." The court therefore ordered the Trump administration to remove all physical signage containing the word "Trump" within 14 days and to delete the term "Trump-JFK Center" from official documents.
In addition to the name change controversy, the court has also temporarily blocked the Kennedy Center from closing for two years for renovations starting this summer, in accordance with the board's March resolution. Cooper believes the decision was based on insufficient information and did not adequately assess the impact on program operations and legal responsibilities, describing the decision as "unwise and seemingly predetermined."
However, the court did not deny the legality of the renovation itself, pointing out that necessary maintenance work could still be carried out, and that if the matter were reviewed again through due process, a short-term closure might still be permitted.
Trump subsequently posted on his Truth Social media platform, stating that he would work with Congress to transfer the management and authority of the Kennedy Center to Congress for a decision. He also indicated that if the center's future direction could not be reshaped according to his vision, he would withdraw federal funding or close the center entirely.
This controversy can be traced back to a series of cultural institution reforms pushed by Trump after his return to the White House. In March of this year, the Kennedy Center's board of directors voted to appoint Matt Floca as chairman, succeeding Trump ally Richard Grenell, which sparked some backlash at the time.
Several arts and cultural groups and performers canceled performances in protest, including the Broadway musical "Hamilton." Joe Kennedy III, the nephew of the late President Kennedy, also questioned the legality of the name change, emphasizing that the center was established by Congressional legislation, "just as no one can arbitrarily change the name of the Lincoln Memorial."
