Trump's name must be removed from Kennedy Center, judge orders

President https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump's name must be removed from the https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/02/02/trump-kennedy-center-renovation-what-to-know" target="_blank">Kennedy Center, according to an order signed Friday by a D.C. district judge.

The big picture: The ruling is a hit to the president's effort to renovate the performing arts venue, which was scheduled to https://www.axios.com/2026/02/02/trump-kennedy-center-close-two-years" target="_blank">close later this year so work could begin.

Friday's order also halted the closure.

What they're saying: "The Court has concluded that the Board overstepped its statutory bounds by unilaterally renaming the Kennedy Center after President Trump," U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper wrote in ahttps://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc" target="_blank"> 94-page ruling.

• "As stated at the outset, Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it."

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information.