Key facts
- The Kennedy Center is establishing a new endowment named in honor of President Trump.
- The center's board of trustees, chaired by Trump, approved the fund.
- Workers removed Trump's name from the building's exterior following a court ruling.
- A judge ruled that only Congress can rename the center.
- The endowment will address the building's physical disrepair and support existing funds.
The Kennedy Center has established a new endowment named in President Trump's honor, according to CBS News. The center's board of trustees, which President Trump chairs and comprises many of his appointees, approved the fund during a Thursday meeting. This action comes after workers removed the president's name from the building's exterior, complying with a ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper. Cooper had previously ruled that the renaming of the center to include Trump's name was improper, stating that only Congress, which originally dedicated the center to John F. Kennedy, has the authority to alter its name. The judge also found that the board had improperly voted to close the center for renovations. A source indicated that the new endowment will be dedicated to addressing the building's "physical disrepair" and will support existing private endowments as well as the center's federal funding.