Defeat for US President
Trump’s name must be removed from the Kennedy Center
Updated on May 30, 2026 – 10:58 amReading time: 2 minutes
Donald Trump wants to immortalize himself in the US capital. But a judge is now stopping one of his prestigious projects. The US President reacts angrily.
A federal judge in Washington has ordered that US President Donald Trump’s name be removed from the facade of the Kennedy Center. According to the decision, the United States National Cultural Center in Washington may keep its old name – and should not be closed. The planned two-year closure of the house for renovation work is also off the table for the time being.
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Trump renamed the cultural center the “Trump Kennedy Center” in December, which led to massive protests. Numerous artists then canceled their performances. The court based its decision on the fact that the name of the Kennedy Center was once determined by Congress – therefore only Congress can change it.
Donald Trump reacts angrily
Trump announced on the “Truth Social” platform that he now wanted to work with Congress to push through the renaming. He criticized the judge for his decision. “I have directed the Department of Commerce to make all necessary arrangements with Congress to facilitate a full transfer of this facility and to give it responsibility for its operation, maintenance and administration,” he wrote. The president feels he has been treated unfairly and appears to be sulking: He no longer wants anything to do with the Kennedy Center.
“There has never been a President of the United States who has been treated as unfairly by the courts as I have been,” he claimed on his platform. But instead of announcing an appeal, he canceled the renovation of the center he had planned. He is “no longer interested” in moving forward with the project. It was initially not known whether Trump would continue to play his role on the institution’s board of trustees.
