The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts faces a court hearing Thursday as a federal judge weighs whether the performing arts venue can restore President Trump’s name to its facade after a board vote earlier this month.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, filed an emergency motion on August 20 asking Judge Christopher Cooper to block the Kennedy Center board’s latest attempt to add Trump’s name to the building. The board voted on August 13 to restore the signage, which would place Trump’s name on the front portico twice and rename the grounds “President Donald J. Trump Plaza,” according to USA Today.
In May, Judge Cooper had ordered Trump’s name removed from the building after ruling that only Congress can change the center’s name. The Kennedy Center was established by Congress in 1964 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, and Cooper wrote that “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” according to NPR.
Beatty, who serves as an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board, called the board’s actions “a breathtaking act of defiance” of the judge’s order. In her filing, she argued that the board’s newest proposal violates the congressional statute that created the center and flouts Cooper’s May decision. The board had Trump’s name removed from the facade in June following the court order.
The board, which includes members appointed by Trump, voted to eventually inscribe: “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.” The last portion would be added if fundraising reaches $100 million. The Kennedy Center has said it would not attempt to add Trump’s name before September 8, allowing for legal arguments to unfold, according to the Press Democrat.
Beatty also challenged the scaffolding and tarps that have covered the building’s front since Trump’s name was removed, arguing they appear designed to prevent the public from seeing the Kennedy name. The center’s managers said the scaffolding was needed for water testing and structural repairs to the roof overhanging the front portico, but Beatty’s filing suggested the explanation was pretextual.
This marks the second major court fight over the center’s name. When Trump’s name was first added to the building in December 2025, Beatty filed a lawsuit challenging the move, arguing only Congress could authorize such a change. The current emergency motion seeks to prevent the board from repeating that effort.
Sources
- USA Today — Judge Cooper’s May order, the August 13 board vote, and Beatty’s emergency motion details
- NPR — Beatty’s emergency filing, the May court ruling, and the proposed signage text
- Press Democrat — Kennedy Center’s commitment not to restore Trump’s name before September 8
