A U.S. federal judge is weighing whether to reinstate Donald J. Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center’s facade amid a legal dispute over the memorial’s naming rights. Washington-based U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper scheduled a hearing for Thursday at 2 p.m. ET to consider arguments in the case.
The controversy stems from a December decision by the Kennedy Center’s board to add Trump’s name to the building’s marble exterior, reading: The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. In May, Judge Cooper sided with Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, who filed a lawsuit arguing that Congress established the center’s name and only Congress can alter it. The judge ordered the name removed, and the Kennedy Center complied in June by covering the inscription with a large tarp.
The board, composed partly of Trump appointees, responded on August 13 by proposing revised signage: The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump. The plan also included renaming the grounds the President Donald J. Trump Plaza. Beatty challenged the move as a violation of Cooper’s prior order, arguing it effectively reintroduces Trump’s name in violation of the ruling.
The administration countered in legal filings that the new language does not breach the injunction because the building’s official name remains unchanged. The filings emphasized Trump’s role in securing $1.2 billion in federal funding for a two-year renovation project, which the administration claims prevented the center from deteriorating into an unsafe structure. The documents warned that without intervention, the Kennedy Center could face structural failure requiring demolition.
A federal appeals court previously denied an early request by the administration to restore Trump’s name while the appeal was pending. The outcome of Thursday’s hearing could determine whether the new signage moves forward or if the tarp remains in place pending further legal proceedings.
