US judge orders removal of Trump's name from Kennedy Center, blocks closure plan

A Federal Judge ruled on Friday (May 29, 2026) that President Donald Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations – the latest legal setback for Mr. Trump’s efforts to leave his personal mark on the landscape of the nation’s capital.

Mr. Trump said in response that he is backing away from his proposed renovation and returning control of the arts institution to Congress.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Kennedy Center board’s March 16 vote to close the facility was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained” with no regard for its legal obligations. The administration had announced the work would begin in July and last approximately two years, but Mr. Cooper’s ruling halts those plans for now.