politics
Judge Blocks Full Kennedy Center Closure, Allows Capital Repairs, Orders Trump's Name Removed
A federal judge barred the Kennedy Center from shutting for two years of renovations and required removal of President Trump's name from the building. The board will vote in mid-July on three renovation options.
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U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Kennedy Center from closing for two years of renovations and ordered that President Trump's name be removed from the center's title, physical signage, website, and official materials.
The Kennedy Center board voted in December 2025 to change the institution's name to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Judge Cooper ruled that the board overstepped its authority because Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and only Congress can change it.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied the Justice Department's request to pause the order requiring removal of President Trump's name. The Kennedy Center complied with the order on June 19, 2026.
As of June 20, 2026, scaffolding and a tarp around the exterior hide where the name was previously displayed. Executive Director Matt Floca stated in a June 20, 2026 filing that the board will consider three renovation options at its mid-July meeting: complete closure with no ongoing programming, partial closure with limited programming, or phased closures allowing a full slate of performances.
Floca noted that Judge Cooper's order did not require the board to reschedule previously canceled programming or seek new programming.
The center continues preparing for capital repair and construction activities scheduled between July and December 2026. In a June 19, 2026 court filing, Kennedy Center lawyers stated that the institution plans to maintain an operational model after the July 5 date when it was initially scheduled to shutter for renovations.
Under that model, the Kennedy Center's public spaces will still be accessible but the stages may largely be silent.
The Justice Department asked Judge Cooper for additional time to respond to Rep. Joyce Beatty and proposed that both parties file a joint status report two weeks after the Kennedy Center's next board meeting. President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he would work with Congress to transfer the Kennedy Center back to them.
