In the early hours of a Saturday morning, workers behind a plastic screen removed Donald Trump's name from the marble facade of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. The removal came after a federal judge ruled that the centre's board had acted unlawfully when it voted to add the president's name to the building, and that only Congress could change the venue's official name.
The Kennedy Center is a performing arts venue that opened in 1971 and is designated by US law as a living memorial to President John F Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. Congress enshrined the name in law in 1964. In December 2025, the centre's board of trustees – which Trump had packed with his supporters after becoming chairman in February 2025 – voted unanimously to rename the building "The Donald J Trump and The John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts". Workers affixed the new signage the following day. The change sparked a legal challenge from Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who is an ex-officio board member. In May 2026, US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the board could not rename the centre without congressional approval. He ordered the removal of Trump's name by 11.59pm on 12 June. The Trump administration attempted to pause the order, but the judge rejected the emergency appeal, as did an appeals court. Workers began dismantling the letters at about 1.20am local time on 13 June, and by 3am the name had been removed. Matt Floca, the centre's executive director and chief operating officer, filed a legal statement confirming that all physical signage and references on the website had been purged.
“Explains the legal dispute over renaming the Kennedy Center and why it matters for UK readers.”
This dispute matters for UK readers because it illustrates the principle that even a sitting US president cannot unilaterally override laws passed by Congress. The Kennedy Center's name was set by statute, and the court ruled that only a new act of Congress could change it. The episode also highlights the separation of powers and the role of the judiciary in checking executive overreach. For UK audiences accustomed to a constitutional framework, the case is a vivid example of how legal constraints operate in the US system, even when a president controls the board of a cultural institution.
Q: Why was Trump's name added to the Kennedy Center in the first place? After Trump became chairman of the Kennedy Center's board in February 2025, his handpicked trustees voted unanimously in December 2025 to rename the venue to include his name. The new title was "The Donald J Trump and The John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts".
Q: What did the court decide and why? Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May 2026 that the board's vote was unlawful because Congress had designated the Kennedy Center as a memorial to President John F Kennedy by law in 1964. Only Congress, not the board, can change that name. The judge also temporarily blocked Trump's plan to close the centre for renovations.
Q: Is the centre now known just as the Kennedy Center again? Yes. The court order required the removal of Trump's name from the building, grounds, website and all materials. The venue has complied, and it is now known by its original legal name: the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
The legal battle is not entirely over. The Trump administration has indicated it will continue to fight the ruling through the appeals process. The crowd that gathered to watch the name come down cheered when they learned the appeal had been denied. For now, the centre's name remains as Congress intended, but further court arguments may follow.