President Donald Trump has some grandiose plans for Washington, D.C. Among them was the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. He had his own name added to the storied building. It has stood for decades as a tribute to the late President Kennedy's reverence for culture. In addition, Trump also wanted the facility closed for two years for extensive remodeling. On Friday, May 29, however, a judge abruptly derailed both of those controversial moves. Ironically, May 29 was President Kennedy's birthday.
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A Federal Judge Intervened
Per People, a federal judge declared that the president's name "was illegally added" to the center, in the outlet's words. It has to be taken off within two weeks. It must also come off all signage. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper said that the center's board of trustees went against a 1964 law that named the center for the slain president. Furthermore, Cooper put a stop to the planned two-year renovation of the center.
According to the outlet, Cooper's decisions stemmed from Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty's lawsuits. "A Democrat on the board of trustees," per People, she claimed she was not permitted to vote against changing the center's name to include Trump. In a statement Beatty issued to People, she said in part, "The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred memorial for his own vanity."
President Trump Quickly Pummeled the Judge's Rulings
Regarding the remodeling, Judge Cooper wrote this per the Associated Press. "The trustees might have assessed the propriety of closure in a number of prudent ways. This was not one." Moreover, as for the name change, the judge ruled that the board of trustees "overstepped its statutory bounds."
The pushback against Cooper's rulings has already begun in earnest, starting at the top. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump angrily wrote this in part. "Judge Cooper should be ashamed of himself!...Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into "NEVER NEVER LAND...I have instructed the Department of Commerce to make all necessary arrangements with Congress to allow a full and complete transfer of this Institution, giving them the responsibility for its Operation, Maintenance, and Management..."
A Rep for the Kennedy Center Also Pushed Back
The Kennedy Center's Vice President of Public Relations, Roma Daravi, told the AP the following. Namely, that "the institution is 'confident that on appeal the court will uphold the Board's will to recognize President Trump's historic contributions to our nation's cultural center.'"
She added, "Though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration - a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges. With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place, and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy."
One Kennedy Family Member Expressed Elation at the News
Maria Shriver, President Kennedy's niece, was very pleased by the judge's reversal of the center's name change and renovation. She wrote on X, "An appropriate birthday present on my uncle's birthday today...the judge held that only Congress can change the Center's name and blocked the planned two-year closure. I know they'll probably appeal and the story isn't over, but for today let's celebrate a great birthday gift."
