Judge Orders Trump's Name Stripped From Kennedy Center

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The judge also temporarily blocked the Kennedy Center from closing this summer for renovations.

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A federal judge in Washington has ordered that The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must remove President Trump’s name from the building and all official branding.

Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the Federal District Court in Washington wrote in a 94-page order that the law Congress passed to establish The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts made it clear that the institution was to be named for President Kennedy.

He stated, “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it."

Judge Christopher R. Cooper also temporarily blocked the institution from closing this summer for renovations. Trump recently announced that the board of trustees of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts approved a plan to close the Washington, D.C. venue for two years to undergo renovations, beginning this summer.

The judge wrote “None of the board members had sufficient information in advance of the March 16 meeting to make a well-considered decision to close the center."

Since early 2025, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has undergone major changes following the Trump administration’s takeover of its leadership. Established as the nation’s cultural center through the National Cultural Center Act of 1958 and opened in 1971, the institution has long served as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy, presenting programming in theater, ballet, dance, and more. Beginning with the removal of board members and Donald Trump assuming the role of chairman in 2025, the institution has faced ongoing restructuring, artist withdrawals, leadership departures, and programming shifts. Below is a timeline of key developments—from the initial overhaul through the Kennedy Center’s recently announced plan to shut down operations for two years. See the full timeline of changes to the Kennedy Center during Trump's term HERE .

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) is condemning management of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, alleging the  Kennedy Center is violating its union contract.

The leadership of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is mounting a public campaign to defend its planned two-year shutdown, walking lawmakers, donors, and the press through cobwebbed pump rooms, corroded loading docks, and a rust-pocked electrical vault to demonstrate that the building has aged past the point of routine repair.

In a new article, Josef Palermo, an artist who served as the Kennedy Center’s first curator of visual arts, detailed his experience amidst the Trump administration's takeover of the institution.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Judge-Orders-Trumps-Name-to-be-Removed-From-the-Kennedy-Center-20260529)._