President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on a federal judge Friday after a ruling blocked his administration's push to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and shut it down for renovations this summer. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper should be “ashamed of himself” for siding with a challenge from Representative Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves as an ex officio board member.
The ruling by Cooper, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, halts a plan to close the iconic Washington venue on July 5 for a two-year overhaul. Trump had sought to add his own name to the building as part of a broader campaign to update federal landmarks under his D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
“Judge Cooper was given a presentation by leading Building and Construction Experts as to how structurally dangerous the Building is, with rotting beams, parking areas that are subject to collapse, and various other Life and Safety problems,” Trump wrote. “He was not ‘swayed,’ and said he wants the Building to, incredibly, remain open and, therefore, dangerous. Judge Cooper should be ashamed of himself!”
Trump insisted he cannot “be involved with a situation where danger to the Public is allowed to flourish in plain and open sight.” He said he has directed the Commerce Department to “make all necessary arrangements” to hand oversight of the institution's maintenance to Congress.
Cooper’s decision, however, leaned heavily on the legal framework governing the Kennedy Center. The judge wrote that “the Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so.” That language directly undercuts Trump’s move to rebrand the venue.
The confrontation is the latest flashpoint in Trump’s push to reshape Washington’s public spaces. His administration has faced legal challenges over plans to demolish the White House East Wing to build a ballroom, as well as a renovation project at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. These efforts are part of a broader agenda that has also seen Trump wade into state-level politics, endorsing Pam Evette for South Carolina governor while snubbing Nancy Mace.
The Kennedy Center dispute also echoes Trump’s broader battles with the judiciary. His administration has faced multiple setbacks in court, including over immigration policy and defense contracts. For instance, a recent Pentagon deal with Dell worth $9.7 billion raised conflict-of-interest questions linked to Trump.
Trump’s order to shift authority to Congress is likely to face further legal scrutiny, as the legislative branch has historically held sway over naming and operational decisions for the Kennedy Center. The venue, a major cultural hub, remains a political flashpoint as Trump seeks to leave his mark on the capital ahead of the 2026 semiquincentennial celebrations, which have already sparked backlash over branding efforts.
