Kennedy Center votes to restore Trump’s name in court order challenge

The next move in the battle over the Kennedy Center took place Thursday as the center’s board members voted to shut down most of the center for renovations and to restore President Donald Trump’s name to the title. The decision tested U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s May ruling that temporarily stopped the planned closure and permanently barred the addition of Trump’s name. It also tested a unanimous appeals court decision from early July that rejected the most recent attempt to put Trump’s name back on the building.

How extensive are the planned renovations? The board’s proposed renovation plan included new marble floors, structural repairs, acoustic improvements, and more, for an estimated $250 million, according to The New York Times, which first reported the story. The Thursday board decision will be subject to a federal judge’s approval. The REACH, a 2019 addition to the center, will stay open for limited programming as a memorial to late President John F. Kennedy.

The renovation plans have been hotly contested, with multiple lawsuits brought over the proposed changes. A group of eight architecture and cultural organizations brought a lawsuit against Trump and the board in March, arguing that the planned renovations didn’t comply with the government’s basic historic preservation and environmental laws. Ex-officio Kennedy Center board member Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, filed a federal lawsuit against Trump and the board to reverse the name changes and halt the renovation plans in December of 2025. That lawsuit resulted in Judge Cooper’s May decision to block the closure.