Kennedy Center removes Trump name from website, building signage remains

WASHINGTON, DC: The Kennedy Center has started removing President Donald Trump's name from its official materials after a federal judge ruled that the performing arts venue had been unlawfully renamed without congressional approval.

On Tuesday, June 9, the center removed Trump's name from its website following a court order.

While the online changes have already begun, visitors can still see the president's name displayed on the exterior of the building. That, however, may not last much longer.

Kennedy Center removes Trump name after ruling

The memo instructed employees to immediately stop using the venue's Trump-era name in daily operations.

"To comply with this order, you must immediately change email signatures, letterhead, and other documents to reflect the name as 'The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,' or 'Kennedy Center'," the memo stated.

The directive also set a deadline for additional updates across the organization.

"Other changes, such as to templates and forms, signage, brochures, and website pages, must be completed no later than Friday, June 12, 2026."

The changes stem from a ruling issued last month by US District Judge Christopher Cooper, who concluded that the board lacked the authority to rename the institution after Trump.

In his decision, Cooper emphasized that the center's official identity was established by federal law and could not be altered through a board vote alone.

"The Kennedy Center's organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board's unilateral say-so. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," Cooper wrote.

Trump takeover of Kennedy Center sparks lawsuits

The dispute traces back to February 2025, when Trump replaced the Kennedy Center's board with members of his administration and political allies.

The newly installed board later voted to rename the venue in honor of the president. The new signage appeared on the building almost immediately after the vote, a detail that later became a point of discussion during court proceedings. 

According to court filings, the Justice Department acknowledged that the speed of the rollout suggested the name change had likely been planned before the official vote took place.

Since then, the arts center has found itself at the center of multiple legal battles and public controversies.

The leadership changes and subsequent renaming effort drew criticism from some members of the arts community.

Several musicians who had been scheduled to perform at the venue reportedly canceled their appearances in protest after Trump assumed control of the institution.

Kennedy Center warns of fundraising fallout

The center's Trump-appointed executive director, Charles Matthew Floca, argued in court that removing Trump's name could hurt the organization's financial future.

Floca claimed that stripping the president's name from the venue would cause "irreparable harm" to fundraising efforts and long-term development goals.

He also maintained that attracting the financial support needed to renovate and modernize the building would be significantly more difficult without Trump's name attached to the institution.

Trump, meanwhile, has responded aggressively to the ruling and the judge behind it. The president has called for Cooper to be impeached and accused him of having a conflict of interest.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social last month, Trump targeted the judge's wife, Amy Jeffress.

"Cooper's wife, Amy Jeffress, who doesn't use the 'Cooper' name because they, as a couple, don't want people to know that she has a Conflict of Interest with an important Judge, is a Radical Left Democrat, who worked as a Federal Prosecutor and Counselor to Obama Attorney General, Eric Holder," Trump wrote.

He continued by alleging that Jeffress was connected to political opponents and claimed the situation made it impossible for him to receive fair treatment.

"Amy is totally wired into the Left System, from her husband down, and it is impossible for me to be treated fairly. He has a total Conflict of Interest, and should be brought up on charges for not revealing these facts."

Trump also predicted dire consequences for the arts institution if the ruling stands. "That is why The Kennedy Center will soon be closed, probably never to open again."