Judge Orders Removal of Trump Name From Kennedy Center

Overview

• The ruling, issued Friday, May 29, 2026, requires removal of all Trump signage within 14 days and found the Kennedy Center board exceeded its legal authority by renaming the building.
• The judge enjoined the board’s unanimous plan to shut the complex for a $257 million, two-year renovation but allowed limited repairs to proceed so the center can stay partially open.
• Representative Joyce Beatty’s lawsuit won the relief requested while a separate suit by historical preservation groups was rejected on the same day.
• The Kennedy Center said it will appeal the decision and warned the building needs an urgent $257 million restoration that President Trump helped secure, even as programming remains reduced and some artists and companies have canceled shows.
• The ruling rests on the center’s organic statute that Congress used to name the venue for John F. Kennedy and raises the prospect of further legal appeals, congressional action, and long-term governance disputes over politicized board appointments.