A US court has ordered the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, ruling that the iconic Washington venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington on Friday directed the Trump administration to take down all physical signage bearing Trump’s name and to eliminate any references to a “Trump Kennedy Centre” from official materials within 14 days.
"The Kennedy Centre’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Centre is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so," Cooper wrote.
"Congress gave the Kennedy Centre its name, and only Congress can change it."
Cooper ruled in a lawsuit brought by Democratic US Representative Joyce Beatty.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Pinnacle of American cultural excellence
Days after returning to the office, Trump unveiled a plan to dismantle the existing board of trustees and remove its chairman, billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein.
On December 18, 2025, the Kennedy Centre’s board voted to rename the institution the Trump–Kennedy Centre, formally the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts.
Trump’s name was added to the building’s facade the following day, December 19, 2025.
Kennedy Centre derives its prestige from its status as the United States' official national cultural centre, established by Congress as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, who championed the arts as vital to democracy.
The centre hosts world-class programming, including over 2,000 annual performances in theatre, dance, opera, and music, and serves as home to the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, renowned for exceptional acoustics and grand architecture.
The annual Kennedy Centre Honours, since 1978, have recognised lifetime achievements in the performing arts, often dubbed the "Oscars of the arts" — further elevating their reputation as a pinnacle of American cultural excellence.
