Judge Blocks 2-Year Kennedy Center Renovation, Orders Trump Name Removed as Trump Backs Away
Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · May 30
Judge Blocks 2-Year Kennedy Center Renovation, Orders Trump Name Removed as Trump Backs Away
8 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · May 30
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper halted the Kennedy Center’s planned July closure and ordered Trump’s name stripped from the façade and official materials within 2 weeks.
The ruling said the board’s March 16 vote to shut the venue for a roughly 2-year renovation was “ill-informed” and that only Congress can change the center’s name.
Trump responded that he had lost interest in the project and told his administration to arrange for control of the institution to return to Congress, while calling the judge’s decision shameful.
Kennedy Center officials said they would review the ruling and pursue an appeal, arguing the building still needs urgent restoration and citing $257 million approved by Congress for the work.
The decision is the latest court setback to Trump’s broader push to remake Washington landmarks in his second term, though administration appeals could keep the fight alive.
Why did the court protect the Kennedy Center's name but not its architecture from future changes?
What will happen to the $257 million renovation fund now that the President has ceded control of the Kennedy Center?