Judge nixes latest plan to put Trump name on Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center board of trustees argues the cultural center faces bankruptcy and can only acquire the necessary funds from President Trump if it restores his name to the building’s facade.WASHINGTON (CN) — A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump on Tuesday from restoring his name to the Kennedy Center’s facade, rejecting claims by the board of trustees that the cultural center faces bankruptcy and would need to close immediately.U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who ordered the government on May 29 to remove the president’s name from the facade and blocked an effort to shut down the center for two years, granted Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty’s motion for an emergency injunction to block the government’s renewed effort.“The drama at the Kennedy Center continues,” the Barack Obama appointee wrote in a 22-page opinion. “Despite the court’s order, on Aug. 13, 2026, the board passed a resolution ‘to recognize and honor President Trump’s current and future existential and unprecedented contributions to the survival of the center’ in three different ways.”The resolution would place a set of inscriptions, one to be placed immediately and another to be added after the Trump Kennedy Center Fund had raised $100 million. The initial inscription would read, “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump,” and the addition would read, “endowed by The Trump Kennedy Center Fund.”Further, the board’s resolution would rename the ground surrounding the center to the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”Cooper sided with Beatty’s assertion that at least two of the resolutions would violate his May 29 order barring the addition of Trump’s name, specifically the inscriptions “renovated and restored” by Trump and renaming the campus the Trump Plaza.“Simply put, defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’ blessing,” Cooper wrote. “The board resolution bucks a federal court order and a statute Congress enacted. Representative Beatty is thus entitled to enforcement of the court’s injunction, which reflects Congress’ decision to memorialize President Kennedy, and no one else, at the center bearing his name.”Tuesday’s decision comes as the board is set to meet later in the day to vote on the “necessary closure of the center” due to structural concerns throughout the building.Matthew Floca, the center’s chief operating officer, testified on April 29 that decades of substantial water intrusion from storms and the Potomac River have seriously damaged the roof, electrical systems and columns.Floca, who took over the role on March 24 after former acting director Richard Grenell left, described a previously planned two-year closure set for July 6 as a “unique opportunity” to repair the damages without risking patrons’ health or extending the project through a phased renovation.Kennedy Center officials highlighted the need for the closure after heavy rain and 60 mph winds rolled through the nation’s capital on Sept. 3, causing significant damage throughout the region and portions of the Kennedy Center Grand Foyer ceiling to collapse. In a Sept. 5 post on X, the Kennedy Center called it “another warning we cannot ignore.”Joe LaFauci, vice president of board relations at the center, said in an email that Tuesday’s board meeting is “focused exclusively on the necessary closure” due to “the recently exacerbated structural emergencies.”Further, the board asserted the center is in “a dire financial position” and will be unable to make payroll or fulfill routine maintenance contracts in the coming weeks, unless it can recognize Trump for his promised funds.“The board understands that without such appropriate recognition it is unlikely that President Trump will provide the fundamental oversight of the renovation of the main building and lead the fiscal rescue of the center,” the board wrote in the resolution.In the resolution, board members agreed to 10 proposed inscriptions recognizing Trump’s role, ranging from “Renovation and Restoration directed by President Donald J. Trump” to “Acknowledging the unwavering support of President Donald J. Trump,” among others.The center suffered significant revenue losses after Trump’s takeover and name change — through lost donors, decreased ticket sales and canceled artist shows — with projections showing the center earned about $100 million less in total revenue than anticipated.While Cooper’s opinion did not directly address the board’s actions after an Aug. 27 hearing, he scheduled a brief hearing Tuesday and suggested the parties see whether they can agree on a potential two-year closure.Nathaniel Zelinsky of the Washington Litigation Group, representing Beatty, expressed doubt the parties could reach any agreement, leading Cooper to ask whether the center, a public charitable trust, went insolvent.Zelinsky suggested the center could be put in receivership, where the court could appoint an independent party to govern the center rather than the board.Cooper ultimately suggested the Justice Department file a motion to dissolve his injunction by Friday, while Beatty can request further discovery.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads