2 weeks ago
Kennedy Center Board Votes to Restore Trump Name on Building
The John F. Kennedy Center is a famous performing arts building in Washington, D.C., named after a former American president.
President Donald Trump wanted his name on the building.
A judge said that only Congress is allowed to change the building's name and ordered Trump's name to be taken down.
Workers removed the signs in June, but a big tarp has been covering the front of the building since then.
The board of trustees, which has many Trump allies, voted to put up a new sign saying the building was 'Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.'
The board also voted to call the area 'President Donald J. Trump Plaza.'
The board decided to close the main building for two years to fix its heating, cooling, electricity, and fire safety systems.
After Trump's name was put on the building, some shows were cancelled and fewer people bought tickets.
Trump has also put his name on other things, like the airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, and a limited edition US passport.
The Kennedy Center board of trustees, stacked with Trump allies, voted Thursday to add the inscription 'Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump' below the building's main signage.
Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio board member, said the board also voted to rename the site 'President Donald J. Trump Plaza.'
The vote appears to clash with a federal judge's May ruling that only Congress can change the building's name and ordered Trump's name removed from the facade.
The board voted to close the main building for two years for renovations to its heating and cooling, electrical and fire safety systems, due to be completed by summer 2028.
The board first voted in December to add Trump's name, a move that spurred cancelled shows and plunging ticket sales; a federal appeals court last month rejected the administration's request to keep the name on the building.
- Who
- President Donald Trump and the Kennedy Center's board of trustees, now dominated by Trump allies; Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio board member, reported the vote.
- What
- The board voted to add the inscription 'Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump' below the building's main signage, rename the site 'President Donald J. Trump Plaza,' and close the main building for two years of renovations.
- Where
- The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
- When
- Thursday, as reported on August 14, 2026, following a federal judge's May ruling and the removal of signage in June.
- Why
- Trump, who returned to the White House in January 2025, has sought to imprint his name on institutions; the Trump-allied board approved the inscription as a workaround after the court ordered his name removed.
Courts and Critics
Trump and the Board Majority
Restoring Trump's name to the building
Courts and Critics
A federal judge ruled in May that only Congress can change the building's name and ordered Trump's name removed from the facade; the appeals court last month rejected the administration's request to keep the name while it pursued further legal action.
Trump and the Board Majority
The Trump-allied board voted to add the inscription 'Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump' below the main signage and to rename the site 'President Donald J. Trump Plaza' as a way of putting the name back on the building.
Impact on the center's finances
Courts and Critics
The appeals court said the administration's claims that removing Trump's name would hurt fundraising and worsen the center's finances were not backed by specific facts or evidence.
Trump and the Board Majority
The Trump administration argued that removing his name would hurt fundraising and worsen the center's finances.
Two-year closure for renovations
Courts and Critics
A judge blocked the plan to close the main building, saying it could be reconsidered only after further review.
Trump and the Board Majority
The board voted to close the main building for two years to complete work on heating and cooling, electrical and fire safety systems, due to finish by summer 2028.
Key facts
- Organization
- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.
- Board Action
- Voted to add the inscription 'Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump' and rename the site 'President Donald J. Trump Plaza'
- Vote
- 20-3 during an almost two-hour Zoom meeting, proposed by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
- Legal Status
- Federal judge ruled in May that only Congress can change the building's name; Trump's name was ordered removed from the facade
- Appeals Court
- Rejected the administration's request to keep Trump's name on the building while it pursued further legal action
- Renovation Plan
- Main building to be closed for two years; heating and cooling, electrical and fire safety work due by summer 2028
- Initial Renaming
- December vote to name the venue 'The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts'
- Impact
- Cancelled shows, plunging ticket sales, and outrage from critics and Kennedy family members after Trump's name was added
Quotes
Judge Christopher Cooper
U.S. District Judge who ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center in May 2026
“"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. The board has wide discretion to make decisions regarding the Kennedy Center’s operations, including potentially shutting it down for renovations after a valid vote.””
livemint.com
“"In its meeting today, the board voted to change the front of the building’s facade to read ‘The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump,’ and renamed the physical site ‘the President Donald J. Trump Plaza.’”
livemint.com
news18.com
Matt Floca
Executive Director of the Kennedy Center
“"Removed all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds" containing Trump's name.”
NDTV
Sources
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