A federal judge in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 2026, issued an order requiring the Trump administration to remove his name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, arguing that renaming the renowned arts center could not be done without congressional approval.
According to Reuters, Federal Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the administration to remove all signage bearing President Trump's name and delete all references to “Trump Kennedy Center” from official documents within 14 days.
The ruling came after a lawsuit filed by Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. In his decision, Judge Cooper wrote that the act establishing the Kennedy Center explicitly stipulates that the center must bear the name of the late President John F. Kennedy and cannot be changed by a board decision alone.
“Congress named the Kennedy Center, and only Congress has the authority to change that name,” Cooper wrote.
Previously, the Trump administration had changed the signage outside the center to “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The White House has not yet issued an official response to the ruling.
