A federal judge has once again blocked efforts to reinstall Donald Trump's name on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. This decision comes after a previous ruling in May that ordered the removal of Trump's name, which had been added to the facade in December following a board vote to rename the center "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The judge's ruling explicitly states that the board cannot install memorials for Trump or anyone else without Congressional approval.
Despite the judge's order, the Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board voted to immediately close the institution for renovations. This move follows repeated warnings from Trump and his allies on the board about the center's "dangerously dilapidated, outdated, and decrepit" conditions and significant financial losses, suggesting it is in a "financial and structural death spiral." The board claims that the center's financial health, including its ability to meet payroll and maintenance obligations, is dependent on the renovations.
While Congress approved $250 million for the renovation project last year, Trump stated on Truth Social that construction would not begin until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rules on the Justice Department's appeal regarding the earlier renaming order. He threatened that if the ruling is negative and not overturned by the Supreme Court, the renovation will not proceed. Trump also claimed to have raised $17 million in donations to support the center, though the source and destination of these funds remain undisclosed.
The Kennedy Center board, which is chaired by Trump and comprises his Cabinet members and political allies, has consistently argued that a two-year closure is necessary for the upkeep and safety of the facility. Since Trump's name was removed, a tarp-covered scaffold has obscured the exterior wall where the center's name is displayed.
