The Kennedy Center board voted to close the performing arts complex after a federal judge blocked the board’s latest plan to add Donald Trump’s name to the building, according to CNN reporting on the board meeting.
The board voted to close the center after a tense call in which President Trump participated, CNN said, and the decision came moments after the judge issued an order halting the renaming effort.
Legal filings show the judge had earlier said Congress — not the board — controls the Kennedy Center’s name and gave the administration a deadline to remove references to the “Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” ABC News reported.
ABC’s coverage noted the judge gave the administration 14 days to remove references from the building and grounds, a ruling that undercut the board’s plan to inscribe Trump’s name and to close the center for renovations starting this summer.
Reports from The New York Times earlier this summer documented the board vote to add an inscription reading “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump,” a move that triggered lawsuits and political backlash.
How this affects future operations remains unsettled: the CNN piece said the board voted to close the center but described the meeting as chaotic, and ABC said the Justice Department filed an appeal after the judge’s order to remove the name.
This article uses the phrase “kennedy center donald trump name ruling” to track related reporting and will update as courts or the Kennedy Center publish formal notices about closure dates or removal actions.
Sources
- CNN — reported the board vote to close after a tense call with President Trump and said the vote followed the judge’s order.
- ABC News — reported the judge ordered removal of references and gave the administration 14 days; noted DOJ filed an appeal.
- The New York Times — reported the board’s earlier vote to inscribe Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center.
Related reporting: Supreme Court allows Trump to continue White House ballroom construction and Judge Talwani blocks postal ballot policy ahead of 2026 midterms.
