According to NBC, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on the 29th that President Trumps name should be removed from the architecture and website of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Trump reacted with anger, writing a lengthy response in which he stated that he would no longer be involved in matters related to the Kennedy Center.
The ruling issued by the judge states: The organizational charter of the Kennedy Center clearly stipulates that the center must be named after (the former U.S. President) Kennedy. The board of directors has no right to decide to give it any other official or public commemorative name. It is only Congress that has the authority to change this name given to the Kennedy Center.
Judge Cooper wrote that the title Trump-Kennedy Center added a new name to the original name, and also reduced Kennedys name to second place. This definitely wasnt a minor change.
He therefore issued an order requiring the US government to remove Trumps name from the buildings and the website of the center within 14 days.
In this ruling, the judge wrote: The board of directors could have evaluated the reasonableness of closing down through various sound methods, but this decision did not follow such procedures.
The judge stated that maintenance work can still be carried out. If the board of directors follows proper procedures, it may still decide to close the project in the future.
Regarding the court ruling, Trump posted a lengthy statement on the Truth Social platform on May 30 to criticize it. He claimed that the Kennedy Centers facilities were outdated and it had been suffering from losses for years. He stated that he had taken steps to renovate the facility, but the judge imposed restrictions on those efforts. Trump said that he would no longer be involved in matters related to the Kennedy Center.
In early 2026, Trump appointed new members to the Kennedy Centers board of directors. These members proposed renaming the center as Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Memorial Center. The center was planned to be closed for major renovations for two years, starting on July 4th of this year. Last year, Trump served as the chairman of the board and called for the temporary closure of the center, stating that this was the most efficient way to carry out repairs.
This move was criticized as an attempt to erase Kennedys political legacy, and as a attempt to reshape this national cultural symbol through personal political considerations. The Kennedy family also strongly opposed this action.
The Kennedy Center was named after John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. It was officially opened in 1971. The Kennedy Center is widely regarded as a national cultural center in the United States. It hosts world-class musical, opera, theatrical, dance, and other artistic performances.
Trumps decision to change his name has directly affected the normal cultural activities at the Kennedy Center. Several musicians and performing groups have announced that they will cancel or withdraw their performances at the center.
