Only Congress can rename Kennedy Center: US judge orders removal of Trump's name
The controversy erupted after the board — led by Trump as chairman along with several of his allies serving as trustees — voted last year to rename the landmark cultural institution the "Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts."
A federal judge in Washington has ordered the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ruling that the institution cannot be officially renamed without approval from Congress.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper directed the administration to remove all signage carrying Trump’s name from the venue within 14 days and stop using the title “Trump Kennedy Center” in official communications and promotional material.
In his ruling, Cooper said the Kennedy Center’s legal charter clearly establishes the institution as a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy and leaves no authority for the board to alter its formal name on its own.
“The Kennedy Center was named by Congress, and only Congress has the power to change that designation,” the judge said.
The case was brought by Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who challenged the legality of the renaming move carried out by the Kennedy Center board.
The White House has not yet issued a response to the ruling.
The controversy erupted after the board — led by Trump as chairman along with several of his allies serving as trustees — voted last year to rename the landmark cultural institution the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Soon after the vote, Trump’s name was installed above Kennedy’s on the building’s facade, triggering backlash from several board members and descendants of the Kennedy family, who questioned both the legality and appropriateness of the decision.
Trump has proposed a major overhaul of the Kennedy Center as part of a wider effort to reshape prominent landmarks in Washington. His plans include the construction of a 250-foot ceremonial arch and a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site formerly occupied by the White House’s demolished East Wing.
The redevelopment proposals have also drawn legal scrutiny. While challenges to the projects are pending in court, a federal appeals court has allowed the administration to proceed with construction of the ballroom as the case moves forward.
A federal judge in Washington has ordered the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ruling that the institution cannot be officially renamed without approval from Congress.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper directed the administration to remove all signage carrying Trump’s name from the venue within 14 days and stop using the title “Trump Kennedy Center” in official communications and promotional material.
In his ruling, Cooper said the Kennedy Center’s legal charter clearly establishes the institution as a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy and leaves no authority for the board to alter its formal name on its own.
“The Kennedy Center was named by Congress, and only Congress has the power to change that designation,” the judge said.
The case was brought by Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who challenged the legality of the renaming move carried out by the Kennedy Center board.
The White House has not yet issued a response to the ruling.
The controversy erupted after the board — led by Trump as chairman along with several of his allies serving as trustees — voted last year to rename the landmark cultural institution the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Soon after the vote, Trump’s name was installed above Kennedy’s on the building’s facade, triggering backlash from several board members and descendants of the Kennedy family, who questioned both the legality and appropriateness of the decision.
Trump has proposed a major overhaul of the Kennedy Center as part of a wider effort to reshape prominent landmarks in Washington. His plans include the construction of a 250-foot ceremonial arch and a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site formerly occupied by the White House’s demolished East Wing.
The redevelopment proposals have also drawn legal scrutiny. While challenges to the projects are pending in court, a federal appeals court has allowed the administration to proceed with construction of the ballroom as the case moves forward.
