Judge Blocks Trump Kennedy Center Name as Transfer Claim Faces Legal Questions
A federal judge ruled that the Kennedy Center Board unlawfully added President Donald Trump’s name to the Washington arts institution, finding that Congress named the center for President John F. Kennedy and only Congress can change that name.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s May 29 opinion also temporarily blocked the board’s plan to close the Kennedy Center for two years beginning in July. The court found that the closure vote was likely made without the level of independent review required of trustees overseeing a statutory public institution.
The ruling does not mean Trump has already transferred control of the Kennedy Center back to Congress. Trump said after the decision that he had instructed the Commerce Department to make arrangements with Congress for a “full and complete transfer” of the institution, but Reuters reported that it was not immediately clear how that directive could be carried out.
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That distinction matters. The Kennedy Center is not a private venue that can simply be handed over by presidential announcement. The court described it as a statutory institution directed by a Board of Trustees, with programming, memorial, maintenance and governance duties assigned by Congress.
Cooper ordered Trump’s name removed from the center’s title, façade, signage and official materials, while making clear that the court was not dictating how the Kennedy Center should be run going forward. Needed repairs may continue, and the board may revisit closure if it does so through a properly informed process.
The Kennedy Center has indicated it will appeal, arguing that restoration remains urgent.
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