Mohan Sinha
01 Jun 2026, 17:35 GMT+10
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal judge ruled this week that President Donald Trump's name was added to the Kennedy Center illegally. The judge also stopped the government's plan to shut down the arts center for major renovations.
This decision is another legal defeat for Trump's attempts to leave a personal mark on Washington, D.C.
In response, Trump said he is stepping back from the renovation plan and will give control of the Kennedy Center back to Congress. He said that if he cannot fully manage and improve the institution in his own way, he does not want to continue.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said the Kennedy Center board's March 16 decision to close the building was poorly thought out and seemed already decided, without properly following the law. The renovation work was supposed to start in July and last about two years, but the judge has now stopped it.
The judge also said the board broke the law by adding Trump's name to the building. He explained that only Congress has the authority to name or rename the Kennedy Center.
He ordered that Trump's name be removed from the building and from all official materials within two weeks.
Trump criticized the judge on social media, saying he should be ashamed. He also said he has directed his administration to arrange for the center to be handed back to Congress.
During his second term, Trump has focused on leaving his mark on major places in Washington. He has already made changes to government buildings and proposed new construction projects.
Some of these projects have been challenged in court, and some rulings have gone against him. However, these cases may continue through appeals.
A Kennedy Center spokesperson said the institution believes the decision could be overturned on appeal and that the board acted to recognize Trump's contributions. She also said the building still needs urgent repairs, and funding for the work has already been approved.
The judge reviewed two separate lawsuits about the project. He supported one case brought by a lawmaker but rejected another filed by cultural groups.
The lawmaker said the ruling is a win for the Kennedy Center and hopes it will allow normal work to continue.
Meanwhile, government lawyers argued that the planned renovations were limited, within the board's authority, and did not require outside approval.
Get a daily dose of Long Beach Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Long Beach Star.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - Wall Street suffered a dramatic sell-off on Wednesday as a new outbreak of hostilities in the U.S.-Iran conflict...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, reaching their highest level in nearly a year, but economists cautioned...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said consumers could begin changing their spending habits in the second half...
NEW YORK, New York - Pushing aside global geopolitical and economic upheaval, U.S. stock markets closed higher on Tuesday, with the...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: Iran has stopped indirect talks with the United States after Israel ordered its troops to move deeper into Lebanon to...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Oil prices surged by about $5 a barrel on June 1 as fears of further disruptions to global energy supplies...
GENEVA, Switzerland: The United Nations weather agency said on June 2 that a moderate or possibly strong El Niño could develop, which...
GENEVA, Switzerland: Global health organization CEPI has committed roughly $60 million to accelerate the development of vaccines against...
BUDAPEST, Hungary: Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on June 1, after meeting President Tamas Sulyok, that if the president...
TEL AVIV, Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu is facing criticism at home after U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel would stop plans to...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: Iran has stopped indirect talks with the United States after Israel ordered its troops to move deeper into Lebanon to...
BEIJING/TAIPEI: China's Coast Guard said on June 1 that it carried out law enforcement patrols in waters east of Taiwan. This was...
