Trump's Name Is Headed Back to the Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center's board of trustees voted Thursday to inscribe President Donald Trump's name on the building's exterior, a move that could test the boundaries of a federal court order that previously forced the removal of his name from the facade.
According to multiple reports, the board approved language reading "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump," which would appear beneath the venue's existing main sign, "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The board also voted to rename the physical grounds outside the building after Trump and reapproved a two-year, $257 million closure of the main building for renovations, while keeping a smaller building known as the Reach open for limited programming.
A Renewed Fight Over Naming Authority
Trump's name was first added to the Kennedy Center's facade in December 2025, after the board, largely appointed by Trump, voted to rename the institution "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The move drew swift criticism from Kennedy family members and Democratic lawmakers, who argued that only Congress had the authority to alter the name of a center established by federal law in 1964 as a living memorial to the assassinated president.
A federal judge later ruled the March vote "ill-informed" and ordered Trump's name removed, finding that the board lacked the legal authority to make the change. The center complied in June, taking down the lettering.
Thursday's vote appears to be an attempt to satisfy the court's concerns while still honoring Trump. The board's resolution reportedly states the inscription is meant to recognize Trump for bringing the center back from "the brink of disaster," and directs officials to move forward "by all legal means."
Criticism From Democratic Lawmakers
Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who filed the original lawsuit challenging the naming change, called the new inscription a "transparent effort to circumvent the Court's ruling" that "flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed." Beatty, an ex-officio member of the board, said she would continue fighting the move.
The Kennedy Center has seen an exodus of performers, employees and audience members since Trump reshaped its leadership last year, with many citing discomfort over what they view as the institution's increasingly political direction.
The center is expected to close its main building for the renovation project while continuing limited programming at the Reach, which will also serve as a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy.
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