Kennedy Center board votes to put Trump's name back on building

The board of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC has voted to add President Donald Trump's name to the facade of the performance arts venue two months after a judge ordered its removal.

Board members, many of whom are Trump allies, voted to add "Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump" to the formal name of the centre on Thursday, according to Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who sits on the board.

"This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the court's ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed," she said. "I will continue to fight for this treasured national monument."

The BBC has contacted the Kennedy Center for comment.

White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement: "Under President Trump's bold leadership, the Kennedy Center is on its way to becoming the finest cultural institution anywhere in the world."

The board on Thursday also voted to proceed with a two-year closure for proposed renovations, which was earlier blocked by a federal judge.

US District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in late May that the president's name had been added to the venue in central Washington DC unlawfully, as it cannot be renamed without congressional approval.

The judge ordered it to be removed, and so it was taken down last month despite a last‑minute attempt by the Trump administration to pause the order.

An appeals court declined to intervene immediately, allowing the removal to proceed pending further arguments.

The Trump administration had argued that changing the centre's name could create confusion if the decision were later overturned.

The case stemmed from a broader legal dispute over the renaming of the cultural institution, which US law designates as a memorial to President John F Kennedy.

The US president announced the addition of his name to the institution, among other rebranding measures across the nation's capital, last year.

In February 2025, he replaced several trustees on the centre's board and appointed himself as a trustee before being voted in as the arts centre's chairman.