A federal judge on Friday rejected the Kennedy Center's last-minute attempt to keep President Trump's name on the performing arts center while it appeals a ruling requiring its removal. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper denied the center's request for a stay, clearing the way for workers to begin taking down the signage.
The Kennedy Center board, led by Trump, had asked Cooper to pause his earlier order requiring the name be removed by Friday, arguing that complying would force the institution to “squander time and money” if the appeals court later sides with them. In court filings, center lawyers warned that removing Trump's name could “impede fundraising” and “contribute to financial decline,” adding that a temporary name change would confuse the public.
Cooper was unpersuaded. In his ruling, he found the center had not “made a strong showing that [they] are likely to succeed on the merits” of an appeal or demonstrated they would suffer irreparable harm if the motion were denied. He noted that the center had “apparently taken substantial steps” to comply with his late-May order, including preparing scaffolding and crews to remove the signage—actions that “undermine the notion that Defendants face irreparable harm.”
“What’s more, issuance of a stay pending appeal would not be in the public interest, which is rarely served by the ‘perpetuation’ of ‘unlawful’ governmental action,” Cooper wrote.
Video footage from Friday showed workers on scaffolding outside the Kennedy Center, preparing to take down the Trump name. The removal follows a contentious legal battle that began when the board voted in November to rename the institution “The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” adding Trump’s name to the facade in December.
Cooper blocked that move in May, siding with a challenge brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex officio board member. He also ruled that the board’s vote to close the center for a two-year renovation starting this summer was unlawful. The decisions drew sharp criticism from Trump, who wrote on Truth Social that Cooper should be “ashamed” of himself. “Unfortunately, Judge Cooper and the Radical Left would rather see it DIE than have President Trump transform it into something that everyone could be proud of,” Trump posted.
The ruling is the latest setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape iconic landmarks in Washington, D.C. Similar moves have faced swift legal challenges, including Trump's warning of a federal takeover of the District if a socialist wins the mayoral race. Meanwhile, the Kennedy Center is also embroiled in a separate dispute, as the Washington National Opera has sued the center for $17 million in donations.
The center’s appeal is now pending before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, though no timeline has been set for a decision.
