Kennedy Center board votes to add Trump's name to building again, defying court order

The Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board voted 20 to 3 on August 13, 2026 to partially close the main arts building for a two-year, $250 million renovation and to add the inscription "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump" to the facade. The decision directly challenges a May 2026 ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who blocked a previous closure and ordered Trump's name removed. Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty condemned the vote as a blatant effort to circumvent the court.

Kennedy Center Trump name reinstatement

• ▪The Kennedy Center board of trustees voted on August 13, 2026 to change the physical location name of the venue to "President Donald J. Trump Plaza."
• ▪The Kennedy Center board of trustees voted 20 to 3 on August 13, 2026 to add the inscription "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump" to the facade of the performing arts center.

Federal court order defiance

• ▪U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper's May 2026 order required the Kennedy Center board of trustees to remove Donald Trump's name from the building's facade, which was completed on June 13, 2026.
• ▪The August 13, 2026 vote by the Kennedy Center board of trustees directly challenges a May 2026 ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, which declared the board lacked authority to rename the center or add Trump's name.

Two-year partial closure plan

• ▪The Kennedy Center board of trustees voted on August 13, 2026 to partially close the arts center for up to two years, shutting down the main building while keeping the smaller REACH wing open.
• ▪The approved $250 million renovation plan for the Kennedy Center includes structural repairs, new marble floors, $12 million in acoustical improvements, and temporarily moving the eight-foot bronze bust of John F. Kennedy.

Congressional Democratic opposition

• ▪Representative Joyce Beatty, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and Representative Rick Larsen were the three ex officio congressional board members who voted against the Kennedy Center renaming and closure on August 13, 2026.
• ▪Representative Joyce Beatty and her attorneys stated that the August 13, 2026 board vote is a transparent effort to circumvent the federal court's ruling and flies in the face of congressional statutes.

Trump board appointments

• ▪The Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board of trustees previously voted in March 2026 to close the center for two years, a decision that was temporarily blocked by Judge Christopher Cooper in May 2026.
• ▪Donald Trump appointed himself chairman of the Kennedy Center board of trustees in 2025 and filled the board with allies who previously voted to rename the venue the "Trump-Kennedy Center."

7 sources