President Donald Trump’s plans to temporarily shut down the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for a massive renovation project suffered a setback on Friday. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the board’s decision to close the venue for roughly two years was flawed and failed to properly consider its legal responsibilities. The ruling temporarily prevents the planned shutdown, which was expected to begin in July.
Cooper wrote: “The trustees might have assessed the propriety of closure in a number of prudent ways. This was not one.” While blocking the closure, the judge emphasized that essential repair work can still continue.
“However, the preliminary injunction will not prevent the Center from moving forward with the capital repair work it has planned, which the record demonstrates is sorely needed. Nor will it categorically prohibit the Board from closing the Center should it come to this decision anew after independently balancing its multiple obligations to the Center in a prudent fashion,” the judge added.
Trump name removal ordered
The ruling also addressed the board’s decision to add Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center. According to Cooper, the board exceeded its authority because Congress originally established the institution’s name, meaning only lawmakers have the power to change it.
“May the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts be renamed absent Congressional authorization? The answer, plain from the face of the statute, is no. Nor can any other individual be memorialized on the front portico of the building,” Cooper wrote.
In another section of the ruling, he noted: “The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
The judge ordered officials to remove Trump’s name from the building, website and other official materials within 14 days.
Kennedy Center vows appeal
The Kennedy Center quickly pushed back against the decision and signaled plans to challenge it. Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi defended the board’s actions and argued that the renovation project remains necessary.
“We are confident that on appeal the court will uphold the Board’s will to recognize President Trump’s historic contributions to our nation’s cultural center,” Daravi said.
She also stressed that major restoration work remains a priority.
“Though the reality remains – the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi said. “With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”
Why the renovation fight began
The legal dispute centered on whether the Kennedy Center board had properly evaluated the decision to shut down the venue for large-scale repairs. Administration officials argued the closure was necessary because of aging infrastructure, water damage and outdated equipment inside the sprawling 1.5 million-square-foot facility.
Critics, including Rep Joyce Beatty and several preservation groups, argued the board acted too quickly and raised concerns about potential alterations to the historic landmark.
Beatty welcomed the ruling after the decision was announced.
“Now hopefully people can come back to work, we can continue to be the Kennedy Center that we were intended to be,” she said.
Trump’s broader Washington overhaul
The Kennedy Center case is the latest legal challenge tied to Trump’s efforts to reshape prominent landmarks across Washington, DC, during his second term. The administration has pursued several high-profile projects, including changes to White House grounds and proposals for new monuments.
For now, performances at the Kennedy Center are expected to continue while the legal battle moves to the appeals process.
Who is Judge Christopher Cooper?
Christopher R ‘Casey’ Cooper has served as a federal judge on the US District Court for the District of Columbia since 2014 after being nominated by former President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
A graduate of Yale University and Stanford Law School, Cooper previously worked at the Department of Justice before spending nearly two decades in private practice specializing in white-collar criminal defense and corporate investigations.
Before joining the federal bench, he worked at several major law firms, including Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin, Baker Botts, and Covington & Burling. He also clerked for former Chief Judge Abner Mikva on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.
Cooper currently lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and two sons.
