WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 16: The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts on May 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Kennedy Center is scheduled to close for two years starting on July 4, 2026, for extensive renovations. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that 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. Trump said in response that he’s backing away from his proposed renovation and returning control of the arts institution to Congress. 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. Cooper also concluded that the board “overstepped its statutory bounds” by unilaterally adding Trump’s name to the center. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it, he said.
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