A federal judge has blocked the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from adding President Donald Trump’s name back to the building and stopped the institution from moving forward with a planned temporary closure. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper issued an order ruling that the center’s plans to install an inscription on the building stating renovated and restored by Donald J. Trump
cannot proceed, according to USA Today.
Federal Judge Blocks Kennedy Center Closure and Trump Signage
Cooper, an appointee of President Barack Obama, stated in his order that the board resolution violated a prior federal court order and a statute enacted by Congress. Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing,
Cooper wrote, as reported by USA Today.
The legal battle stems from earlier actions by the board, which is chaired by Trump and includes his cabinet members and allies. The board previously voted to rename the facility and add lettering bearing Trump’s full name to the front portico, prompting legal challenges and subsequent artist cancellations and ticket sales drops, as detailed by BBC. In May, Cooper ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the center’s title, signage, and branding, ruling that the March renaming violated the 1964 federal law that created the center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy, according to USA Today.
Board Votes to Close Venue for Two Years Amid Renovation Disputes
Hours after the court action on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board voted to close the bulk of the performing arts venue immediately for the next two years to initiate building renovations, according to USA Today and WHEC. Trump wrote on Truth Social that the board voted almost unanimously to close the venue for safety reasons, citing an outside consulting group that identified leaks and other problems, though he maintained that renovations cannot begin until the court rules on the board-approved name, as noted by BBC and USA Today.
Congress has allocated more than $250 million for renovations at the institution, but Cooper previously blocked the board’s March vote to close the center for two years, arguing the board lacked sufficient information and neglected potential adverse consequences on programming, as reported by CBS News and USA Today. During Tuesday’s court hearing, Cooper told government attorneys that nothing in his previous order prevents them from conducting routine maintenance work, provided the center remains open, according to USA Today.
Congressional Opposition and Future Uncertainty
Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who brought the lawsuit against the board’s actions, criticized the closure plans and renaming efforts. Beatty told the BBC that the center had planned for years to undergo phased renovations while continuing to host performances rather than fully shutting down, and blamed Trump’s attempted renaming for driving away audiences and artists, according to BBC.
Following the judge’s ruling, Trump suggested he is no longer interested in leading the institution’s overhaul unless he has full autonomy, writing on social media that he would work with Congress to transfer the facility back to them, as reported by CBS News. Whether the Kennedy Center will ultimately remain shuttered depends on further legal proceedings, as Cooper weighs a government motion to vacate his May order regarding the closure, according to USA Today.