Federal judge blocks Trump from renaming the Kennedy Center
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania attend opening night of musical Chicago at Kennedy Center
A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump from renaming the Kennedy Center the “Trump-Kennedy Center” and from forcing its closure for repairs.
District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that Congress made it “crystal clear” the institution is named after John F. Kennedy, asserting that only Congress can change its name, not a unilateral decision by a Trump-appointed board.
The judge found the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees acted “derelict” by agreeing to close the center at Trump’s request, basing their decision on an “insufficient, one-sided presentation of information.”
Charles Matthew Floca, the center’s executive director, had previously argued that stripping Trump’s name would cause significant financial damage, citing Trump’s fundraising efforts and commitments of $150 billion from private donors.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex officio trustee, who challenged the board’s decision to permanently add Trump’s name to the building, labeling it a “personal vanity project.”
