Kennedy Center Removes Trump References from Website Following Judicial Order
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has taken down all mentions of former President Donald Trump from its online materials to comply with a district court ruling that bars renaming the venue without congressional action.
The Kennedy Center announced on Monday that it has eliminated references to former President Donald Trump from its website, meeting a deadline set by the center’s legal counsel to complete the changes by June 12. The action follows a U.S. district judge’s order that the venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress.
In a memo circulated to staff, the center’s general counsel instructed employees to replace any mention of “Trump Kennedy Center” with the official name, "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts," and to update email signatures, letterheads, templates, signage, brochures and other documents accordingly.
"To comply with this order, you must immediately change email signatures, letterheads, and other documents to reflect the name such as ‘The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,’ or ‘Kennedy Center’," the memo read.
Judge Christopher Cooper’s 94-page opinion emphasized that the center’s founding statute designates it solely in honor of President John F. Kennedy, and only Congress has the authority to alter that designation. The ruling also temporarily halted a planned summer renovation that had been approved by the center’s board, which would have closed the venue for two years.
As of Monday afternoon, the building’s exterior still displayed the combined name, but the online presence has been updated to comply with the court’s directive.
