A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s name removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. According to ABC News, Trump announced Friday that he has “no interest” in continuing his efforts to remake the Washington, D.C. performing arts center after a federal court ruled that neither the venue’s name nor its future could be changed without approval from Congress.
The decision marks a major setback for Trump’s months long push to leave his imprint on the Kennedy Center, which included plans to rename the institution after himself and temporarily close it for a sweeping renovation project.
Trump Says Congress Can Take It From Here
According to ABC News, Trump responded to the ruling in a social media post, arguing that his hands had been tied by political opposition and signaling that he would step away from the project altogether.
“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,’” Trump wrote.
The president went on to say that Congress should determine the future of the center moving forward.
“Therefore, based on the fact that the Radical Left Democrats care more about opposing your favorite President, ME, than saving a dying Performing Arts Center, almost all of which lose large amounts of money throughout the Country, 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 added.
The comments came just hours after a federal judge sided with critics who argued that the administration had exceeded its authority in attempting to rebrand the landmark institution.
Judge: Only Congress Can Rename The Kennedy Center
ABC News states that U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Friday that the administration’s attempt to transform the venue into the “Trump Kennedy Center” violated federal law.
In his ruling, Cooper ordered that Trump’s name be removed from the building within two weeks.
The judge wrote that the administration improperly moved forward with the rebranding by installing signage bearing Trump’s name, altering the Kennedy Center website, and distributing official materials referring to the institution as the “Trump Kennedy Center.”
“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote.
The ruling centers on the Kennedy Center’s unique status as a federally chartered institution. Congress established the center in 1964 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy following his assassination, making any name change a matter of federal law rather than board discretion.
Court Also Questions Proposed Closure
In ABC News, Cooper sharply criticized the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees over its decision to close the venue for two years beginning in July for major renovations.
The judge suggested that trustees failed to properly evaluate the consequences of shutting down the center and questioned whether they fulfilled their legal responsibilities before approving the plan.
“The current record reveals that the Board rendered this ill-informed and seemingly preordained decision without regard for how it would accomplish its full array of statutory responsibilities,” Cooper wrote.
He added that while trustees could have explored several avenues before voting to close the center, “This was not one.”
The board’s decision had drawn criticism from arts advocates and lawmakers who argued that a lengthy closure could disrupt performances, educational programming, and public access to the nationally recognized cultural institution.
Lawsuit Brought By Democratic Lawmaker
The legal challenge was brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty, who serves on the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees as an ex officio member.
According to ABC News, Beatty celebrated the ruling Friday, calling it a victory for the rule of law and for preserving the center’s historic purpose.
“Today’s ruling rightly affirms that this administration’s efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law,” Beatty said in a statement.
“The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump.”
She also accused the president of turning a national memorial into a personal branding exercise.
“He has desecrated this sacred memorial for his own vanity,” Beatty said.
While the Trump administration has defended the proposed renovations as part of the board’s responsibility to improve and repair the center, Friday’s ruling leaves the future of those plans in limbo and places the next move in Congress’ hands.
