A US judge has ordered President 
Donald Trump's name removed from the title of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ruling that the Washington venue cannot be renamed without congressional approval. His name must come off the institution's title, its façade and all other physical and digital signage and official materials within 14 days, and the judge also blocked a temporary closure planned for upcoming renovations, the BBC reported.
How did the Kennedy Center take over happen? Trump replaced several of the centre's trustees in February 2025, appointed himself a trustee and was then voted in as chairman. In December the board decided to rename the institution, and new lettering bearing his full name was affixed to the front portico the next day, the BBC reported. The changes were followed by a wave of cancellations from booked artists and falling ticket sales.
How did Trump respond? Trump wrote on Truth Social that he would work with Congress to "transfer this failing Institution back to them," adding that unless he was free to restore it "physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into 'NEVER NEVER LAND'." A spokesperson for the centre said it would appeal the name-change order.
What comes next? The centre is a federally chartered living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, and the order leaves both the renaming and the renovation plan on hold pending appeal. It is one of several legal setbacks for Trump's reshaping of cultural and federal institutions since he returned to office, where courts have repeatedly paused his moves.
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
