Kennedy Center board votes to keep Trump's name on facade, proceed with two-year closure
The board of Washington's Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has voted to keep President Donald Trump's name on the building's facade and to go ahead with a two-year closure for major renovations, despite a federal judge's May ruling against such changes.
The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted Thursday to keep President Donald Trump's name on the building's facade and to move forward with a two-year closure of the Washington, D.C. venue for extensive renovations, according to US Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio board member.
The vote reopens a dispute that has simmered since Trump reshaped the center's leadership after returning to office. In May, federal Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that Trump's name had to be removed from the building, finding that the center's governing statute requires it to be named for President Kennedy and that only Congress — not the board — can authorize a name change or major alterations.
Beatty called the board's latest move a transparent attempt to sidestep the court's ruling and a violation of the statutes Congress has passed, vowing to keep fighting for what she described as a treasured national monument.
How Trump's name got there
Trump took an interest in the Kennedy Center after his 2024 election win. He installed a largely handpicked board, which named him chairman, and his name was added to the facade in December as part of a broader overhaul of the institution. At the same time, a two-year renovation closure was announced, originally set to begin in July, before facing legal challenges.
The Kennedy Center dispute is one of several roadblocks Trump has encountered in his push to remake prominent Washington landmarks. Last week, an appeals court halted his planned White House ballroom after the East Wing had already been demolished, and his Reflecting Pool renovation has also run into significant problems.
New wording
According to Beatty, the board voted to change the building's facade to read: "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump," and to rename the site "the President Donald J. Trump Plaza." The New York Times reported that an inscription beneath the center's name would read "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump," wording apparently chosen to avoid a federal law barring additional memorials or plaques in the venue's public areas.
