Judge blocks Kennedy Center name change, renovations
May 29 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Friday said President Donald Trump's name must be removed from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in a ruling that also blocked plans to shutter the facility for two years for renovations.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper for the District of Columbia handed down the decisions halting Trump's plans to impose sweeping changes at the historic venue.
The Kennedy Center's board of trustees voted in December to add Trump's name to the building. The decision came less than a year after Trump dismissed the entire board and named new board members, who in turn elected him chairman.
"Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," Cooper wrote.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, sued in response to the name change. Meanwhile, a coalition launched a separate lawsuit in March asking the court to stop the administration from shuttering the facility for two years and carrying out its quarter-billion-dollar reconstruction project.
Trump said the decision to close the facility came after a yearlong review in consultation with contractors, musical experts, arts institutions, and advisers and consultants. He had initially considered a partial project that would permit shows to continue, but decided the best option for the venue was a temporary closure.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex officio member of the board who sued to have access about the details of renovations, said she believes Trump wants to shutter the Kennedy Center in response to dozens of individuals and cultural organizations who have canceled appearances there in response to Trump trying to rename the center after himself. Beatty said the documents she received about the renovations were "inadequate."
She said "the documents prove that there is absolutely no basis to shutter this precious living memorial and beloved institution," she said in a statement. "It certainly looks like President Trump is shutting down the center because he is embarrassed that ticket sales are down and artists are fleeing since his illegal renaming."
Beatty's lawyers said she was concerned Trump might use his hand-selected board to push through wholesale changes at the Kennedy Center to design a facility more to his liking. In October, Trump had the East Wing of the White House demolished to make room for a $250 million ballroom.
In a post on Truth Social in March, Trump shared renderings of what he expected the center to look like after the renovations. He said he's not planning to rip out the facade.
A Washington Post analysis of the renderings show very few changes to the exterior of the building, including altered cornices, updated roof and some windows, painted columns, new signage and landscaping changes.
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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 7:09 PM.