Judge blocks renaming of Kennedy Center to include Trump

A federal judge on Friday blocked the renaming of the Kennedy Center to include President Donald Trump's name, finding that to do so would violate federal law.

Since returning to the White House, Trump sacked the board of the Kennedy Center and appointed Ric Grennell to oversee a complete revamp of its performance lineup. The new board later voted to add Trump's name to the building.

But U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the rebrand, citing the federal law requiring that the center solely honor the late President John F. Kennedy, Politico reported.

Cooper did permit planned repairs to move forward, but stopped shy of authorizing a full closure for renovation in his decision. Trump has sought to remodel the Kennedy Center as part of a broader effort to beautify Washington, D.C.

His other projects have faced similar legal scrutiny, notably his plans to build a ballroom on the White House grounds.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.