Judge Leaves in Place Order to Remove Trump’s Name From Kennedy Center

The judge ruled last month that only Congress may change the name of the iconic performing arts facility.

Workers adjust the name of the “John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" in Washington on Dec. 19, 2025. Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images

A federal judge on June 12 declined to pause a ruling directing the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center in the nation’s capital.

Previously, on May 29, the same judge, Washington-based U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper, ordered that 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.