Federal Judge Scrutinizes Kennedy Center Board’s Attempt to Reinstate Trump’s Name Amid Legal Challenge
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A federal judge is reviewing an emergency request to block the Kennedy Center board—dominated by Trump loyalists—from re-inscribing Trump’s name on the building, a move critics say violates federal law and undermines democratic oversight.
Washington – On Thursday, a federal judge heard urgent arguments from Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty and the Justice Department regarding the Kennedy Center board’s latest attempt to plaster President Donald J. Trump’s name back onto the center’s exterior. Beatty’s attorney, Nathaniel Zelinsky, condemned the board’s vote to inscribe “Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump” and to dub the grounds “President Donald J. Trump Plaza,” arguing that this brazen move directly violates a prior court order that had removed Trump’s name from the façade in the first place.
Judge Christopher Cooper wasted no time in convening the hearing, though he withheld an immediate ruling. He pressed Justice Department attorney Brantley Mayers to explain the board’s rushed timeline, pointedly asking, “What does that have to do with what Congress intended?” After the hearing, the Justice Department submitted a brief indicating the board would delay any action until Oct. 8, pushing it back a month from the original Sept. 8 date.
The board—chaired by Trump himself and stacked with his political appointees—had previously approved a resolution to add yet another inscription, “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund,” if a $100 million fundraising target is reached. Zelinsky denounced the move as a shameless repeat of actions the court had already barred, describing it as an “attempt to end-run” the previous order.
The Justice Department, meanwhile, claimed the Kennedy Center faces dire structural and financial issues that could force a two-year closure for renovations, and that the proposed naming is supposedly tied to fundraising. Mayers insisted the board’s actions were not a renaming but a fundraising ploy, touting Trump’s supposed prowess as a donor.
Judge Cooper reminded both sides that his earlier ruling made clear only Congress has the authority to change the center’s name, and he questioned whether the case remains under his jurisdiction after the Trump administration appealed that decision. No final decision was issued during the hearing, leaving the future of the Kennedy Center’s name—and the integrity of public institutions—uncertain.