Judges deny request to return Trump’s name to Kennedy Center pending an appeal
Jul 8, 2026, 9:53 AM | Updated: 11:32 am
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen as its sign remains covered by a tarp, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A three-judge panel on Wednesday denied a request from the Kennedy Center’s board to keep President Donald Trump’s name on the institution while the board appeals an earlier ruling that dubbed the name change illegal and had it rescinded.
It’s another setback for the board of trustees, of which Trump is chairman, in a saga that began earlier this year when the Kennedy Center became: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.”
The conspicuous addition, and ensuing legal battle, became symbolic of Trump’s broader push to imprint his legacy — and, in this case, his actual name — on the nation’s capitol in his final term.
The panel of judges wrote Wednesday that the request “failed to show how they will be irreparably injured” if Trump’s name remains off the building through the appeal process.
The board had argued that the the removal “threatens to impede” fundraising efforts, but the judges found that claim came without the support of “specific facts or evidence.”
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
A federal judge earlier this year ruled that the name change was illegal, and Trump’s name was removed from the building’s white marble facade in June.
