Lawyers at the Kennedy Center instructed staff Thursday to immediately remove President Donald Trump's name from the performing arts venue following a federal court order that deemed the board's naming decision unlawful.
In an email from the Office of the General Counsel, staff were directed to eliminate all references to the "Trump-Kennedy Center" or "The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" across signage, email signatures, letterhead, brochures, and website pages. The facility is to revert to "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" or simply "the Kennedy Center."
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled last week that Trump's handpicked board overstepped its authority when it voted in December to add the president's name to the iconic Washington landmark on the Potomac River. The judge imposed a June 12 deadline to complete the removal, giving the center 14 days from May 29 to comply.
Despite the legal directive, Trump's name remained visible on the Kennedy Center's exterior as of Thursday afternoon. The venue had added his name to its facade just one day after the board's December vote.
The naming controversy represents one of several governance disputes at the center. Cooper also took issue with the board's March decision to close the Kennedy Center for two years beginning in July for a $250 million renovation project. The judge found that closure decision was based on incomplete information and failed to account for the center's broader legal obligations. While his ruling did not prohibit a temporary shutdown, it required the board to follow proper procedures before proceeding.
Trump has taken an active interest in the Kennedy Center's operations since his second term began. He has exercised considerable control over programming decisions, including canceling certain performances while introducing others. The president had hinted at the possibility of adding his name to the building as far back as August in a Truth Social post, months before the board's formal vote.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The judge's ruling underscores a fundamental tension between executive ambition and institutional independence, and it signals that even a president's closest appointees can't simply remake Washington's cultural landmarks to suit political desires."
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