UPDATED: The Kennedy Center is preparing to remove Donald Trump‘s name from the facade and in other materials following a judge’s ruling last week.
Attorneys for the center laid out instructions for the removal of references to Trump in relation to its official name, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, according to a memo sent to employees on Thursday.
A federal judge ruled last week that the board overstepped its authority in adding Trump’s name to the center, which Congress designated as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy in 1964. The judge, Christopher Cooper, wrote that only Congress had the the authority to do so, and he gave the center 14 days to switch the name back.
The center’s attorneys stated that staff “must immediately change email signatures, letterhead, and other documents to reflect the name as ‘The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,’ or ‘Kennedy Center.’ Other changes, such as to templates and forms, signage, brochures, and website pages, must be completed no later than Friday, June 12, 2026.”
When the board voted to add Trump’s name in December, it was added to the facade the next day and soon appeared on the center’s website and other materials.
In response to the judge’s ruling, Trump lashed out at the judge, but the center has yet to appeal the ruling. The president indicated that the center should be transferred to Congress.
Trump wrote that “based on the fact that the Radical Left Democrats care more about opposing your favorite President, ME, than saving a dying Performing Arts Center, almost all of which lose large amounts of money throughout the Country, we are going to be working with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them so they can make a determination as to what to do with it.”
Cooper also ruled that the board failed to consider the full implication of its plans to close the center for two years, starting on July 7, for renovations. The judge ruled that the renovations could proceed, but the board had to do a more thorough review of a closure before giving its approval.
In the memo to staff, attorneys wrote that the center “is considering its options and will provide further guidance shortly.”
Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the center, said in a statement, “We are complying with the court’s order while evaluating all legal options to preserve this revitalization and recognize President Trump’s leadership.”
CBS News and The Atlantic first reported on the memo.
