Judge Blocks Donald Trump’s Name From Being Returned To Kennedy Center Facade

A federal judge halted the Kennedy Center's plan to honor President Donald Trump on its building and grounds on Tuesday, rejecting the Trump-controlled board's latest attempt to circumvent a previous ruling that reversed the institution's renaming. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper found the board's proposal to add a facade inscription crediting Trump for the Kennedy Center's restoration and renovation, as well as a proposal to name the surrounding grounds "President Donald J. Trump Plaza," unlawful.

The judge emphasized that such tributes could only be installed with Congress's approval, as per federal law. Cooper also noted that the board's August resolution contravened his earlier order, which barred the Kennedy Center from being renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center and from placing Trump's name on its exterior. This latest legal setback for Trump's efforts to reshape the Washington arts institution follows his removal of Biden-appointed trustees and installation of his allies on the board, after which he named himself chairman.

In December, the reconstituted board opted to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center and placed Trump's name on its marble facade. Cooper had previously ordered the removal of this lettering in May, citing the board's overreach of legal authority. Instead of abandoning the initiative, the board resurfaced with a revised inscription referring to Trump's role in the center's restoration and renovation, as well as a proposal to name the grounds after him.

Cooper concluded that the revised language still constituted a memorial, breaching a federal statute that forbids additional memorials or memorial-like plaques within the Kennedy Center's public areas without congressional endorsement. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat and statutory member of the Kennedy Center board, requested Cooper's intervention over her lawsuit, which initially targeted the renaming and later expanded to include the board's proposed two-year closure of the center.

Her legal team characterized the board's latest proposal as a "breathtaking act of defiance." The Justice Department argued in court filings that acknowledging Trump was crucial to sustaining his support for the center's renovation and financial recovery, warning that blocking the tribute would deter donors and jeopardize the rehabilitation project.

Cooper did not determine whether the center could eventually display a separate inscription acknowledging the "Trump Kennedy Center Fund." Kennedy Center officials informed the court they would not pursue that proposal unless the fund first amassed $100 million. The Kennedy Center has encountered persistent turmoil since Trump's takeover, marked by artist cancellations, dwindling attendance, and the withdrawal of financial backing from certain donors.

Its planned closure has also triggered labor disputes, including an unfair labor practice charge filed by IATSE. The Kennedy Center plans to appeal Cooper's May ruling. Earlier, a federal appeals court declined to reinstate Trump's name while the appeal was ongoing, but has yet to rule on its merits. The Kennedy Center and Beatty were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.