Key facts
- A judge has again blocked President Donald Trump's effort to rename the Kennedy Center.
- The judge ruled that changing the center's name requires congressional approval.
- The Kennedy Center board voted to close the performing arts center for renovations.
- President Trump announced the center would close immediately for safety reasons.
- The US Department of Justice will ask for an expedited appeal.
A federal judge has again blocked President Donald Trump's efforts to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and close it for renovations, ruling that congressional approval is required for any name changes. The judge's order came as the Kennedy Center board voted to close the venue for up to two years, citing safety concerns. President Trump announced the closure on Truth Social, stating it was for safety reasons and that renovations could not begin until the court ruled on the board's approved name. He vowed to take the case to the Supreme Court if the ruling was negative and said the US Department of Justice would seek an expedited appeal.
The board, chaired by Trump and including his cabinet members and allies, had approved a resolution in August to add the inscription "Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump" to the venue. This was the third time the board approved closing the center since February amid legal challenges to Trump's attempts to gain greater control. The judge's written order on Tuesday came less than an hour before the board's vote on the closure. The center's administration had informed the board on Sunday that the institution was on the brink of bankruptcy and could not cover payroll obligations and maintenance contracts within weeks.
Detractors, including board member Joyce Beatty, a Democrat congresswoman, argue that Trump's attempted renaming has driven away audiences and artists and is a breach of his fiduciary duty. They contend that Congress established the center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy and must approve any changes. Trump, however, has argued he has the power to act. The judge stated that the board's proposal to add language to the name of the center and its campus "bucks a federal court order and a statute Congress enacted" that memorialized Kennedy and no one else.
In February 2025, Trump replaced several trustees on the board, which then decided in December to rename the institution. New lettering bearing Trump's full name was affixed to the center's front portico the following day. The changes were followed by cancellations by artists and a drop in ticket sales. The center cannot close unless federal judge Christopher Cooper lifts a temporary block he put in place in May, requiring it to stay open while Beatty's lawsuit proceeds. Cooper had said the board could request the block be lifted if it came to the decision to close "in a prudent manner," with the request expected by Friday.