A federal judge has ordered Donald Trump’s name be removed from the Kennedy Center. The Trump administration appears unwilling to comply — at least for now.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum refused to commit to removing President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center on Sunday. This was despite a court order requiring the administration to do so in two weeks. Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Burgum suggested the ruling could be appealed. He also called it a controversial decision “on both sides.”
Donald Trump’s name won’t be removed from Kennedy Center
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on Friday that Donald Trump’s name was illegally added to the landmark Washington, D.C. arts venue. The judge held that the 1964 statute establishing the center makes it “crystal clear” that the building is to be named for President John F. Kennedy alone. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum declined to say whether the administration would follow the order. “I’m not sure if that’s going to be appealed or not, but I think, you know, there’s controversy on both sides of this about that ruling,” he stated.
Now, Cooper’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio Kennedy Center trustee. She challenged the renaming, the planned two-year closure for renovations, and the stripping of her voting rights by the board.
For those unaware, in December 2025, the Kennedy Center’s board — made up entirely of Trump appointees — voted to rename the venue the “Trump Kennedy Center.” Workers added 18 new letters to the building’s facade, making it read: “The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” The change also appeared on the center’s website and event materials.
The judge also temporarily blocked the closure. He noted his order “does not bar the board from reconsidering the closure issue in a prudent manner.” Any decision to close, he added, must be independent and informed by the center’s obligation to “maintain and operate a premiere arts venue.”
