Judge Says Kennedy Center Belongs to JFK, Not Trump

By Stacy M. Brown

Senior Global Correspondent

A federal judge’s order forcing the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has become more than a dispute over signage. It has evolved into a fight over presidential power, congressional authority, and the legacy of one of America’s most recognizable cultural institutions.

The ruling came after Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat, challenged the Trump administration’s decision to place Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center and move forward with plans that included a lengthy closure of the facility for renovations. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper concluded that the Kennedy Center’s governing board exceeded its authority because Congress designated the center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy and only Congress can change that designation.

Cooper ordered Trump’s name removed from the building and official materials and halted plans for a two-year shutdown of the performing arts complex. The judge wrote that Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and only Congress has the power to alter it.

The decision triggered celebrations outside the Kennedy Center and praise from Beatty, who called the ruling a victory for the institution’s mission and history. The lawsuit became a focal point for critics who viewed the renaming effort as an attempt to place Trump’s personal brand on a national memorial dedicated to the nation’s 35th president.

The legal fight is not over. Kennedy Center officials have indicated they expect to appeal, and members of the administration have signaled resistance to immediately removing Trump’s name. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum declined to commit to complying with the court’s deadline during a television interview, fueling questions about how quickly the order will be enforced.

Trump has blasted the ruling and the judge who issued it while suggesting that Congress should take over operation of the Kennedy Center. He criticized Cooper and insisted that changes at the Kennedy Center should move forward. Administration officials have signaled that an appeal is likely.

The legal fight centered on whether the board could take actions that effectively altered a memorial established by federal law. Cooper concluded that Congress had already answered that question when it created the Kennedy Center and named it in honor of Kennedy following his assassination.

Beatty maintained throughout the case that the issue was never about politics but about preserving congressional authority and protecting a national institution that belongs to the public.

After the ruling, Beatty called the decision a victory for the Kennedy Center and those who opposed the changes.

“The Kennedy Center belongs to the American people, not Donald Trump,” Beatty said.