Kennedy Center ordered to strip Donald Trump's name by June 12

A U.S. district judge ruled that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts cannot be renamed after former President Donald Trump. The judge found the board’s vote to rename the venue illegal under the 1964 federal statute that obliges the center to honor only President John F. Kennedy. The order requires all references to Trump’s name to be removed from signage, email signatures and other materials by June 12, and it blocks the center’s planned two‑year closure for renovations.

Kennedy Center officials issued a memo to staff directing the changes and stating they are complying while evaluating legal options. Trump responded on social media, condemning the decision and vowing to work with Congress. The ruling also dismissed a lawsuit the Trump‑linked administration had filed against a jazz musician who cancelled a concert in protest of the name change. Several artists have withdrawn from upcoming “Freedom 250” performances amid the controversy.