Kennedy Center board votes to put Trump's name on building
The board on Thursday also voted to proceed with a two-year closure for proposed renovations, which was earlier blocked by a federal judge.
The Kennedy Center's board in Washington D.C. has opted to reinscribe President Donald Trump's name on the performing arts venue's exterior, a decision made two months after a judicial order mandated its removal.
On Thursday, board members, many of whom are aligned with Trump, voted to append "Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump" to the center's official designation, as reported by Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who is also on the board.
Congresswoman Beatty stated, "This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the court's ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed. I will continue to fight for this treasured national monument."
The BBC has sought comment from the Kennedy Center.
White House spokesperson Liz Huston issued a statement saying, "Under President Trump's bold leadership, the Kennedy Center is on its way to becoming the finest cultural institution anywhere in the world."
Additionally, the board on Thursday approved moving forward with a proposed two-year closure for renovations, a plan that a federal judge had previously blocked.
In late May, US District Court Judge Christopher Cooper determined that the president's name had been unlawfully affixed to the venue in central Washington D.C., as renaming it requires congressional approval. The judge ordered its removal, which occurred last month despite a last-minute effort by the Trump administration to halt the order. An appeals court declined immediate intervention, allowing the removal to proceed while further arguments are considered.
The Trump administration had contended that altering the center's name could lead to confusion if the decision were subsequently reversed.
This case originated from a larger legal disagreement concerning the renaming of the cultural institution, which US law designates as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
Last year, the US president announced the addition of his name to the institution, alongside other rebranding initiatives throughout the nation's capital. In February 2025, he replaced several trustees on the center's board, appointed himself as a trustee, and was subsequently voted in as the arts center's chairman.