WASHINGTON — A federal court delivered a significant legal blow to President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape Washington landmarks, ruling Friday that his administration illegally placed his name on the Kennedy Center and preventing planned facility closures for major construction work.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper determined that the Kennedy Center board’s March 16 decision to shut down the venue was “ill-informed and seemingly preordained” without proper consideration of legal requirements. The planned construction was set to start in July and continue for roughly two years, but Cooper’s decision stops those efforts immediately.
“The trustees might have assessed the propriety of closure in a number of prudent ways. This was not one,” he wrote.
The judge further determined that board members “overstepped its statutory bounds” when they independently decided to attach Trump’s name to the facility. Since Congress originally designated the Kennedy Center’s name, only Congress has authority to alter it, Cooper stated.
Cooper, who received his judicial appointment from Democratic President Barack Obama, directed defendants to strip Trump’s name from the building’s exterior and all “official materials,” including digital and physical signage, within a two-week timeframe.
“May the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts be renamed absent Congressional authorization? The answer, plain from the face of the statute, is no. Nor can any other individual be memorialized on the front portico of the building,” Cooper wrote.
The White House had no immediate comment.
During his current presidential term, Trump has prioritized placing his personal influence on Washington’s most significant historical locations. He tore down the White House East Wing for ballroom construction. His name or likeness now appear on various government facilities, including the U.S. Institute of Peace and Justice Department headquarters. He’s also advocating for a triumphal arch with views of the Potomac River.
Legal challenges to other Trump building initiatives have emerged in courts — with favorable outcomes for opponents. However, district court decisions may not be final as the administration pursues appeals.
Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, stated Friday that the organization remains “confident that on appeal the court will uphold the Board’s will to recognize President Trump’s historic contributions to our nation’s cultural center.” She indicated the ruling would receive “careful” review.
“Though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi said. “With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”
Cooper conducted hearings in late April for two separate lawsuits challenging the construction plans. Cultural and historic preservation organizations filed one case. The other came from Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat serving as an ex officio Kennedy Center board member. He sided with Beatty’s petition while dismissing the alternative challenge.
Beatty described the ruling as a victory for the Kennedy Center and performing arts community. “Now hopefully people can come back to work, we can continue to be the Kennedy Center that we were intended to be,” she told The Associated Press.
Justice Department lawyers argued that building renovation plans remain limited in scope and fall entirely within board authority without requiring external approvals.
Plaintiffs expressed concerns that the president and his board supporters would ignore preservation regulations meant to protect the building’s historical integrity. During previous court proceedings, lawyers representing Beatty and preservation organizations questioned the project’s claimed limited scope, citing Trump’s comments about “fully exposing” the building’s steel framework.
Beatty expressed being “very fearful that we’ll see what happened with the East Wing and what happened with the Rose Garden” if the center closes and renovations proceed without oversight, referencing substantial modifications the president implemented at the White House.
Mike Floca, the Kennedy Center’s executive director and chief operating officer, dedicated several spring weeks guiding bipartisan congressional members and staff, plus journalists and Washington municipal officials, through the massive building spanning 1.5 million square feet.
These tours aimed to demonstrate that the Kennedy Center, with construction beginning in 1965, genuinely required comprehensive updates. The guided visits revealed extensive water damage, visible through discoloration and standing water in certain areas. Various equipment pieces, including multiple 800-ton cooling chillers, are decades old and need replacement.
Floca informed reporters in April that he evaluated completing repairs separately but maintained it was his recommendation to Trump to close the facility and proceed with comprehensive renovation work simultaneously.
Trump, a Republican, has shown strong interest in Kennedy Center management since returning to the White House last year. He established a personally selected board that designated him as chairman. His name was placed on the exterior of a building regarded as a living memorial to Kennedy.
The Kennedy Center has continued hosting performances before the planned closure, though at a significantly reduced schedule compared to previous years. Trump attended the “Chicago” musical premiere in March, and additional productions, including “Moulin Rouge,” are scheduled for June.
Bill Maher, the comedian with a complicated relationship with Trump, is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28, an occasion expected to serve as one of the Kennedy Center’s final major events before the planned closure.
