Continued Legal Battle Over Name at the Kennedy Center

A three-judge panel denied the Kennedy Center board’s request to restore President Donald Trump’s name to the institution during the appeal of a previous ruling that declared the name change illegal. This decision marks another setback for the board of trustees, chaired by Trump, in a dispute that began earlier this year when the Kennedy Center was renamed as “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

The addition of Trump’s name, followed by the legal battle, reflects his broader effort to leave a lasting mark on the nation’s capital during his second term. The judges stated the board failed to demonstrate how they would suffer irreparable harm if Trump’s name remained off the building during the appeal process. While the board argued the removal might hurt fundraising efforts, the judges concluded that such claims lacked specific facts or evidence.

The Kennedy Center did not respond immediately to a request for comment. U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio who initiated the lawsuit, commented, “His name no longer desecrates this sacred memorial, which belongs to the American people.” She urged the Trump administration to accept the ruling, comply with legal obligations, and remove the tarps covering the building’s marble facade.

When Trump took office in 2025, he replaced the previous board of trustees at the Kennedy Center and was designated chairman. Trump’s name was promptly added to the building, which led to a federal judge ruling the change illegal and igniting the legal dispute.