The Kennedy Center has removed references to President Donald Trump from its website and YouTube channel after a federal judge ruled that the performing arts venue could not legally bear the president’s name.
The changes appeared Monday, marking the latest step in the ongoing dispute over efforts to associate Trump’s name with the landmark cultural institution. Formal invitations for the Kennedy Center’s annual Honors ceremony were also updated, omitting the president’s name. References to Trump remained visible on the center’s Instagram, Facebook, and X accounts as of Tuesday.
The decision follows a court order issued last week requiring the Kennedy Center to eliminate Trump’s name from official communications as well as signage inside and outside the building by Friday.
At the center of the legal battle is Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board. Beatty challenged actions taken by the Trump administration to attach the president’s name to the venue, arguing that the institution was established as a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy and that Congress never authorized a name change.
District Judge Christopher R. Cooper sided with that argument in a lengthy ruling, concluding that the Kennedy Center board exceeded its authority.
“Congress likewise took pains to ensure that no other memorial-like dedication would grace the Center’s public spaces,” District Judge Christopher R. Cooper wrote in his 94-page ruling issued last week. “As a result, the Kennedy Center Board’s decision to rename the Center, along with its decision to affix President Trump’s name to the building’s façade, violate Congress’s unequivocal mandate.”
The judge emphasized that authority over the center’s name rests solely with lawmakers.
“As stated at the outset, Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper added.
Kennedy Center officials said they are complying with the court’s directive while reviewing possible next steps.
“We are complying with the court’s order while evaluating all legal options to preserve this revitalization and recognize President Trump’s leadership,” Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the performing arts center, previously told reporters.
The dispute is one of several recent legal setbacks involving administration-backed initiatives at the Kennedy Center. Trump has criticized a number of court decisions affecting his administration, including a separate ruling that blocked plans to temporarily close the venue for major renovations.
Those renovation plans, previously approved by the board, would have shut down the Kennedy Center for approximately two years. The project remains uncertain as legal challenges continue to shape the future of one of the nation’s most prominent cultural institutions.
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