U.S. Appeals Court Denies Trump's Request to Restore Name on Kennedy Center

A three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to have his name reinstated on the façade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The judges found the administration had provided no specific facts or evidence showing irreparable harm to the Center’s fundraising or operations, and therefore denied a stay of the lower‑court order that removed the name.

District Judge Christopher Cooper had earlier ruled that only Congress can change the Center’s name, which is statutorily devoted to President John F. Kennedy. The Kennedy Center’s board, chaired by Trump, had added his name in December 2025, prompting a lawsuit filed by Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty. The appeals court affirmed that the name removal will remain in effect while the underlying case proceeds, noting that a tarpaulin and scaffolding still cover the spot where Trump’s lettering was removed.