A federal judge issued a ruling on Friday mandating the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The judge, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, stated that the historical venue in Washington, D.C., cannot undergo a renaming process without approval from Congress.
Judge Cooper instructed the Trump administration to dismantle all physical signage displaying Trump’s name and to erase any mentions of a “Trump Kennedy Center” from official materials within a timeframe of 14 days. Cooper emphasized that the Kennedy Center, as per its foundational statute, is designated to honor President Kennedy exclusively, thus prohibiting any alternative formal name or public tribute without congressional authorization.
The lawsuit leading to this ruling was filed by Democratic U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty. The White House has not provided an immediate response to requests for comments regarding this decision.
