US Court Orders Removal of Trump's Name from Kennedy Center

Washington DC. A US court has ordered the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the famous cultural center 'Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts'. 

District Judge Christopher Cooper, ruling that the name of this historic center located in Washington DC cannot be changed without the approval of the US Congress (parliament), has ordered the removal of Trump's name. 

In this decision made last Friday, the court also halted the Trump administration's plan to temporarily close the center for upcoming renovations. According to the court's order, Donald Trump's name must be removed from the title of this institution, its main building, all physical or digital signboards, and all official materials within the next 14 days. In protest of this decision, a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center stated that they will appeal the court's order to change the name.

On the other hand, President Trump wrote on the social media Truth Social that he is working to return this institution to Congress. He wrote, 'If I am not given the freedom to do what I can do better than anyone else, namely to bring this institution back physically, financially, and artistically, then it is like an endless journey for me, in which I have no interest.'

Last year, as part of a plan to rename various institutions in the US capital, Trump had announced the addition of his name to this arts center. In February 2025, he removed several trustees of the center's board and appointed himself as a trustee, and was later elected chairman of the board. 

Last December, after the board decided to change the name of the institution, new letters with Trump's full name were affixed to the front of the center. The full name of the center was planned to be 'The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts'. However, with the addition of Trump's name, artists preparing to perform at the center began canceling their programs, and ticket sales also saw a sharp decline. 

Meanwhile, Trump had announced that the center would be closed for major renovations for two years, starting from July 4, 2026, coinciding with the country's 250th anniversary. Board member and Democratic Congresswoman from Ohio, Joyce Beatty, and other former trustees filed a lawsuit against Trump's unilateral decision. They alleged that they were deprived of their right to vote on the board's decision and later amended the lawsuit against the plan to close the center.

After the court's decision, Congresswoman Beatty said, 'Today's decision clarifies that the Trump administration's attempt to change the name and close the center had no legal basis. The Kennedy Center is an institution of the American people, not Donald Trump. He insulted this sacred monument for his ego.'

Roma Daravi, a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center, said that they are confident that the court will recognize the historical contribution made by President Trump to the country's cultural center during the appeal. She mentioned that the reality of the center needing immediate and major renovation is acknowledged by the opposition, and said, 'The $257 million budget secured by President Trump and approved by Congress is available, so we are committed to pursuing every legal avenue to re-establish the Trump Kennedy Center as a national cultural heritage.'

In the 94-page ruling, Judge Christopher Cooper, appointed during the Obama administration, noted that the Kennedy Center's bylaws clearly state that the center will remain in President Kennedy's name only. He wrote, 'Based on the board's unilateral decision, it cannot take the form of any other official name or public monument. Congress gave the Kennedy Center this name, and only Congress can change it.'