A federal court ordered the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, continuing a legal battle over executive influence and federal naming rights in Washington. The ruling blocked a scheduled two-year closure of the facility and resulted in Trump publicly attacking the judge’s wife on social media.
In a 94-page ruling blocking the closure and ordering the removal of Trump’s name from all physical and digital signage, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper determined the institution’s board overstepped its legal authority. The court found that because Congress originally named the building after President John F. Kennedy, only the legislature holds the power to alter the designation.
Trump responded directly on Truth Social, criticizing Cooper’s wife and threatening to surrender management of the property to Congress unless he is allowed to oversee the planned renovations himself. He described the current state of the facility’s management as a “hopeless journey into NEVER NEVER LAND.”
The conflict originated late last year when the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees voted to rename the complex “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, who sits on the board, initiated the legal challenge, arguing she was deliberately muted during the virtual session, a claim that formed the basis of her December 2025 lawsuit against the board and her subsequent public statement following the victory.
Following the court order, Beatty released a statement declaring the institution “belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump.” Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi confirmed the organization intends to appeal the decision, arguing the board’s initial vote was necessary to secure $257 million in restoration funds arranged by Trump for the building’s maintenance.