US judge orders Trump's name removed from Kennedy Center
A US district judge ruled on Friday (29 May) that adding former President Donald Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was unlawful. Judge Christopher Cooper of the Federal District Court in Washington stated that Congress had established the arts centre as the “sole national memorial” for the 35th US president in the Washington area. He ruled that the Kennedy Center’s board had overstepped its authority by unilaterally renaming the venue after Trump. “The Kennedy Center’s founding law clearly states it must bear President Kennedy’s name and cannot adopt any other official name or public monument solely based on the board’s decision. Congress named the Kennedy Center, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper said.
Additionally, Cooper temporarily blocked Trump’s administration plan to shut down the Kennedy Center for two years. He noted the board’s decision to halt operations was based on “inadequate and unilateral information, and disregarded the institution’s full legal obligations and potential negative impacts on the centre’s programmes and memorial functions.” “This interim ruling does not prevent the centre from proceeding with planned infrastructure improvements, which evidence shows are urgently needed,” he added. “It also does not absolutely bar the board from closing the centre in future should it decide to do so after independently and judiciously considering its obligations to the institution.”
Since taking office for a second term, Trump has been highly active at the Kennedy Center, replacing previous leadership and appointing himself as board chair. In December last year, the board voted to rename the venue “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” sparking widespread criticism from the public and political figures. Several prominent artists cancelled performances at the centre. Trump then announced in February that the Kennedy Center would cease entertainment activities for about two years from July to facilitate construction projects. The venue is widely regarded as a national cultural hub, hosting world-class music, opera, drama, dance, and other performances.