Judge Orders Trump Name Removed From Kennedy Center Title

A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump's name removed from the title of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, while also blocking — for now — the center's planned temporary closure for renovations.

The Details: US District Judge Casey Cooper concluded that the center cannot be renamed without the approval of Congress. Cooper wrote that the law establishing the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts "makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board's unilateral say-so." All signage and official materials referring to the building as the "Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" must be removed within 14 days, according to Cooper's ruling. But a Kennedy Center spokesperson told CBS News that the institution intends to appeal the decision.

Trump's Response: Trump criticized the ruling on Truth Social, saying "we are going to be working with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them so they can make a determination as to what to do with it."

Trump wrote: "Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into 'NEVER NEVER LAND.' " 

For Context: The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 as a national performing arts venue and memorial to President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. In 2025, Trump replaced several trustees, joined the board himself and was later elected chairman. In December, the board approved a plan to rename the institution the "Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," and new signage bearing Trump's name was installed.

How The Media Covered It: Media coverage across the political spectrum largely focused on the ruling. However, CNN (Lean Left bias) emphasized concerns about the center's governance, the lawsuit brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty and the judge's criticism of how the board approved the closure and renaming plans. Conversely, Fox News (Right) focused on the legal question of whether the Kennedy Center board had the authority to rename the institution. It also highlighted Trump's criticism of the ruling and supporters' arguments that renovations were needed. 

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