Judge Blocks Planned Closure of Kennedy Center and Orders Trump’s Name Removed From Building

The order came in response to a lawsuit filed by a Democratic congresswoman.

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) (C) and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) (C) arrive for an event on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 3, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

A federal district judge on May 29 ordered that President Donald Trump’s name be removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and blocked officials from shuttering the venue for two years for renovations.

Washington-based Judge Christopher R. Cooper issued an order temporarily halting the closure and preventing the name change.