A federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump cannot rename the historic Kennedy Center after himself or attempt to shut the institution down, delivering a major legal setback in the latest political fight surrounding Washington’s famed arts venue.
The ruling came after weeks of controversy sparked by reports that Trump allies were exploring ways to overhaul the center’s leadership and even rebrand the performing arts institution bearing the name of former President John F. Kennedy. Critics blasted the idea as unprecedented and politically motivated.
In the sharply worded decision, the judge reportedly said the Kennedy Center was created by Congress as a national cultural institution and could not simply be dismantled or renamed through executive action alone. The court also emphasized the center’s longstanding bipartisan mission of celebrating American arts and culture.
District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., won’t let the president name the historic center after himself, noting that Congress made it “crystal clear” that the building is to be named after former President John F. Kennedy, “and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial” based on a “unilateral say-so” from a Trump-appointed board.
“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote in Friday’s injunction.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has long served as one of the nation’s most recognizable cultural landmarks, hosting the annual Kennedy Center Honors along with major theater, music, ballet, and opera performances.
Reaction to the ruling was swift. Supporters of the decision called it a victory for the independence of the arts, while Trump supporters argued that the president should have broader authority over federally connected institutions.
The White House has not indicated whether it plans to appeal.