US Court Blocks Donald Trump's Ambitions to Rename and Renovate Kennedy Center

Donald Trump (Photo: Instagram @realdonaldtrump)

JAKARTA - President Donald Trump's ambition to immortalize his name in the Kennedy Center building is certain to fail.

A federal judge has issued a sweeping order barring the president from adding his name to the U.S. national arts center.

US District Judge Casey Cooper, in a 94-page legal opinion released on Friday, May 29 local time, said the Kennedy Center's board of directors had violated the law.

The council's move to change the official name of the building to "The Donald Trump and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" is considered legally flawed. The reason is that the naming of the institution is entirely the authority of Congress, not a unilateral decision by the board of directors.

Not only blocking the name change, Judge Cooper also ordered the building management to immediately remove all references to Donald Trump's name that had been displayed on the physical signboard of the building and their official website. The cleaning time is limited to no later than the next two weeks.

In his ruling, Cooper emphasized that the legal status of the building could not be unilaterally manipulated by the Trump-formed board of directors.

"The Kennedy Center's organic law is very clear that the Center is named for President Kennedy, and cannot bear any other formal name or public commemoration based on the unilateral decision of the Board. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," Cooper wrote in his opinion, quoted by Billboard, Sunday, May 31.

In addition to the name case, the judge's ruling also permanently halted a massive renovation project planned by the board of directors, which would have closed the Kennedy Center for two years.

However, the Kennedy Center management did not stay silent and stated that it was ready to take further legal action. Kennedy Center Public Relations Vice President Roma Daravi confirmed that his party would appeal the decision.

"We are confident that in the appeal, the court will support the council's desire to recognize President Trump's historic contribution to our nation's cultural center," Daravi said.

Daravi added that the funds of 257 million US dollars had actually been secured by Trump and approved by Congress for urgent restoration needs. Therefore, management insists on finding a legal loophole so that the project can continue.

For information, this problem started since Trump won the 2024 presidential election and returned to the White House.

He overhauled the Kennedy Center's entire management by removing 18 board members previously appointed by Joe Biden.

The controversial move was followed by a virtual vote last December to change the name of the building in honor of Trump.

However, this process resulted in a lawsuit from US Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who claimed that her voice was deliberately silenced during the virtual meeting.

Beatty himself welcomed this legal victory and considered Trump's actions to try to control public facilities as a form of personal arrogance.

"Today's ruling rightly affirms that this administration's attempt to rename and shut down the Center has no legal basis. The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred monument for his own ego," Beatty said.