Trump Backs Off 2-Year Kennedy Center Overhaul as Judge Orders His Name Removed in 2 Weeks
Updated
Updated · NBC Washington · May 30
Trump Backs Off 2-Year Kennedy Center Overhaul as Judge Orders His Name Removed in 2 Weeks
7 articles · Updated · NBC Washington · May 30
Hours after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the Kennedy Center shutdown, Trump said he was abandoning the planned two-year renovation and preparing to return control of the arts center to Congress.
Friday’s ruling said the board’s March 16 vote to close the venue was legally flawed and that only Congress can rename the center, ordering Trump’s name removed within two weeks.
Trump answered with a Truth Social post calling Cooper an "anti Trump Hater," saying the center may "soon be closed, probably never to open again," and suggesting the judge’s wife influenced the decision.
The dispute stems from Trump’s January 2025 takeover of the Kennedy Center board; Cooper sided with Rep. Joyce Beatty’s lawsuit, while rejecting a separate challenge from cultural and preservation groups.
With renovations blocked, what is the future for the deteriorating Kennedy Center and its approved funds?
Who has the final say in naming America’s national landmarks: the President's board or Congress?
Does a judge's ruling on a name set a new precedent for all national cultural institutions?