A federal judge has ordered that President Trump’s name be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—and that the president reopen the prestigious theater. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Friday that the name of the performing arts center can’t be changed without an act of Congress, and ordered the Trump administration to take down every sign with Trump’s name and get rid of all references to “Trump Kennedy Center” within 14 days. He also overturned the board’s March decision to close the theater for a yearslong renovation.The board made its decision to close the center based on “an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information” that “neglected to consider the full range of its statutory obligations and potential adverse consequences of closure on programming and memorial functions,” Cooper wrote in his ruling.Trump put his name on the performing arts center in December after replacing board members with his handpicked appointments, who then elected him as chairman. News of the takeover caused the center’s popularity to plummet, with performers canceling events and concerts. Trump decided to close the center to save face, ostensibly for renovations, prompting a backlash from the Kennedy family (except for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.).Considering Trump’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing to build his ballroom, people were afraid that Trump’s “renovations” would involve demolishing the center. Now a federal judge has put Trump’s overhaul on hold for the time being. Will Trump follow the court order and remove his name from the building, or will he defiantly claim it belongs to him?This story has been updated.
