Judge blocks Kennedy Center name expansion as board votes for two-year closure

A US judge has blocked the Kennedy Center board from adding language honoring President Donald Trump to the building, while the board voted to close the performing arts center for two years. The ruling came less than an hour before the vote, according to BBC News.

Judge Christopher Cooper said the board could not install a memorial to Trump without congressional approval. His written order said the proposed wording conflicted with a federal statute establishing the center as a memorial to President John F Kennedy and with an earlier court order.

The board is chaired by Trump and includes cabinet members and allies he appointed after replacing several trustees in February 2025. It approved a proposal in August to add the phrase “Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump” and separately backed a possible campus renaming if $100m was raised for renovations.

Trump said on Truth Social that the closure was approved “almost unanimously” for safety reasons and to begin reconstruction. He said it would take place immediately, but acknowledged that renovations could not start until the court ruled on the naming dispute. He also said the Justice Department would seek an expedited appeal and that he would take the case to the Supreme Court if necessary.

The center cannot close unless Cooper lifts a temporary order issued in May in a lawsuit brought by board member Joyce Beatty. The judge said the board could return with a request to end the restriction if it had decided to close in a prudent manner. The Justice Department was expected to seek that change, BBC News reported.

Beatty said the center had planned phased renovations while continuing some performances, rather than shutting completely. She accused Trump of prioritizing personal recognition and said the renaming effort had contributed to departures by donors, patrons and artists.

The center’s administration has warned that it is in a precarious financial position and may be unable to meet payroll and maintenance obligations within weeks, BBC News reported. Its leadership has also described the building as unsafe, citing a recent ceiling collapse, although people close to the institution dispute whether a full closure is required.