Board illegally added Trump’s name to Kennedy Center and must remove it, judge rules

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10, 2026. A U.S. judge on May 29, 2026 ruled that the famed venue has been illegally renamed to include President Donald Trump and that his name must be taken down. Photo by Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

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A U.S. judge on Friday ruled that the famed Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has been illegally renamed after President Donald Trump and that his name must be taken down.

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“The Court has concluded that the Board overstepped its statutory bounds by unilaterally renaming the Kennedy Center after President Trump,” Judge Christopher Cooper ruled.

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The arts venue in the heart of Washington, D.C., was named in honor of slain president John F. Kennedy. Last December, the center’s governing board, which is stacked with Trump allies, voted to rename itself the “Trump Kennedy Center.”

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The Republican president’s name was soon added to the facade in large golden letters above that of Kennedy.

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Cooper’s ruling stated that only Congress has the right to change the center’s name and gave the administration 14 days to remove Trump’s name from the facade and any materials linked to the venue.

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“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”

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Cooper also issued a temporary block on Trump’s demand to close the Kennedy Center for two years of renovations.

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Since returning for a second term in January 2025, Trump has taken repeated measures to put his name and image in official spaces — an abrupt break with U.S. political tradition.

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The disbanded U.S. Institute of Peace has been renamed after Trump and his face stares down from huge banners outside the Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture.

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The Trump administration is seeking to have his image on a US$250 bill to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary since independence from the British Empire.

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In another upending of tradition, Trump ordered the East Wing of the White House to be torn down — with little public warning or debate — to make way for what he says will be a huge ballroom.

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