The Kennedy Center has been embroiled in a legal battle as a three-judge panel has decided that Donald Trump cannot have his name reinstated on the building while an appeal is ongoing.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied a request by the board of trustees, led by Trump, to maintain the former president’s name on the center during the appeal process. Earlier this year, the institution was renamed The Donald J Trump and The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a move deemed illegal by a ruling from US District Judge Christopher Cooper in May.
Following unsuccessful attempts to block the ruling, the Trump administration complied, removing the president’s name from the building’s exterior and signage. However, the change remains concealed from public view under a tarp.
In their recent ruling, the judges stated that the board failed to demonstrate irreparable harm if Trump’s name is kept off the building during the appeal. The board contended that the removal could hinder fundraising efforts, but the judges found this assertion lacking specific evidence.
In 2025, upon assuming office, Trump replaced the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, who subsequently appointed him as chairman. The legal action was initiated by Joyce Beatty, a Democratic representative from Ohio and a board member of the Kennedy Center.
In response to the ruling, Congresswoman Beatty emphasized that the administration’s efforts to rename the center were unlawful. She called for the administration to abide by the law, remove the tarps, and acknowledge that Trump’s name no longer adorns the memorial.
Last month, spectators gathered in front of the center in anticipation of the removal of the signage, but a tarp shrouded the process from view.