Judge Orders Removal of Trump’s Name from Kennedy Center

A federal judge mandated that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts remove President Trump’s name from its facade and official branding. This order came alongside a temporary block on the center’s plans to close for renovations this summer.

President Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the ruling on social media. He implied that without the ability to shape the center’s future, he considered it a fruitless endeavor. He criticized the decision, blaming Judge Cooper and what he termed the ‘Radical Left’ for resisting changes.

Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the Federal District Court in Washington stated that Congress originally named the center, and only Congress has the authority to alter it. This decision was made clear in a law passed in 1964. The judge ordered the removal of 18 letters added to the building’s facade within two weeks.

The board of trustees at the Kennedy Center, largely composed of Trump supporters, voted in December to append the president’s name to the center. The new lettering, “The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” was added quickly after the vote.