The Associated Press

· Posted: May 29, 2026 4:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

A federal judge ruled Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump's name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Kennedy Center board's March 16 vote to close the facility was "ill-informed and seemingly preordained" with no regard for its legal obligations.

"The trustees might have assessed the propriety of closure in a number of prudent ways. This was not one," he wrote.

Cooper also concluded that the board "overstepped its statutory bounds" by unilaterally adding Trump's name to the centre. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it, he said.

Board to review decision 'carefully'

Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center's vice-president of public relations, said Friday the institution is "confident that on appeal the court will uphold the Board's will to recognize President Trump's historic contributions to our nation's cultural centre." She said the decision would be reviewed "carefully."

U.S. President Donald Trump, seen at a recent event in Suffern, N.Y., has taken a keen interest in the Kennedy Center's operations since he returned to White House last year. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

"Though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration — a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges," Daravi said.

"With $257 million [US] secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy."

Cooper held hearings in late April for parallel lawsuits challenging the project. One was filed by a group of cultural and historic preservation organizations. The other was brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves as an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center's board. He ruled in favor of Beatty's request but rejected the other challenge.

Justice Department attorneys said renovation plans for the building are limited in scope and well within the board's authority, without the need for outside approvals.

Preservation rules

The plaintiffs worry the president and his board allies will flout preservation rules designed to maintain the building's historic character. In earlier court hearings, attorneys for Beatty and the preservation groups raised doubts about the limited scope of the project, pointing to Trump's statements that he would "fully expose" the building's steel skeleton.

LISTEN | Architect reacts to plan to close Kennedy Center for renovations:

Beatty has said she was "very fearful that we'll see what happened with the East Wing and what happened with the Rose Garden" if the centre is closed and the renovations are allowed to proceed without oversight, referring to major changes the president has made at the White House.

Trump, a Republican, has taken a keen interest in the Kennedy Center's operations since he returned to the White House last year. He installed a handpicked board that named him chairman. His name was added to the façade of a building that is considered a living monument to President John F. Kennedy.

The Kennedy Center has kept up performances ahead of the closure, though at a much slower pace than in previous years. Trump attended the premiere of the musical Chicago in March, and other shows, including Moulin Rouge, are slated for June.

Bill Maher, the comedian who has had an up-and-down relationship with Trump, is expected to be awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28, an event that was anticipated to be one of the final big moments at the Kennedy Center before the closure.

Cooper was nominated to the bench by U.S. president Barack Obama.