A federal judge has ordered that President Donald Trump’s name be stripped from the Kennedy Center, ruling Thursday, May 29, that it was “crystal clear” the Washington arts complex was named for the late President John F. Kennedy — not the current one.
The ruling ran 94 pages. The judge also blocked the center from winding down its programming and shutting its doors for what had been described as two years of renovations, at least temporarily.
Trump’s name had been added to the Kennedy Center in December 2025. The dual orders — one on the naming, one on the closure plan — leave the center’s near-term future unsettled while the legal fight continues.
The renovation shutdown was the piece that alarmed arts advocates most. A two-year blackout of programming at one of the country’s largest performing arts venues would have idled productions and disrupted schedules across the calendar. The judge’s order stops that — for now.
What happens next in court isn’t clear from the ruling itself. The administration hasn’t publicly said whether it will appeal either order.
Reported by NPR. Read the original report.
