Judge Presses Kennedy Center on Rush to Restore Trump's Name

A federal judge on Thursday expressed doubt about the Kennedy Center's plan to quickly restore President Donald Trump's name to its facade, questioning why the board is pushing ahead despite a court ruling that had blocked the move.

During a nearly two-hour hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper interrupted the administration's lawyer, Bradley Mayers, to ask what made September 8 a necessary date for beginning the inscription work. Cooper noted that judges sometimes travel over the Labor Day holiday, questioning the urgency.

Mayers said the timeline followed a vote by the Trump-aligned board earlier this month. When he argued that renovations require energy and talent, Cooper pushed back, saying that point was separate from what Congress intended in the relevant statutes.

The dispute stems from a May ruling in which Cooper found that Trump's name had been added to the building illegally and ordered its removal. The board has since voted to inscribe a new phrase on the facade: "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump." If a separate fund reaches $100 million, an additional inscription would credit the Trump Kennedy Center Fund. The plaza in front of the venue would also be renamed in Trump's honor.

Mayers argued that these actions recognize Trump rather than rename the institution, noting the center no longer uses the Trump-Kennedy branding. He also urged Cooper not to rule on the endowment inscription since no money has been raised yet.

Cooper, however, questioned whether he had the authority to block these moves while the administration appeals his earlier decision. He pressed a lawyer for Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio board member, on the question of jurisdiction. Beatty's counsel, Nathaniel Zelinsky, warned that failing to act would create an enforcement gap.

The hearing also touched on the administration's suggestion that without recognition of the president, the Kennedy Center might struggle to raise renovation funds and could eventually need to be demolished. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who attended, downplayed that scenario, saying the point was that inaction leads to problems, but those problems were not imminent.