(../../../../favicon_aje.ico) US judge questions the push to add Trump’s name back to the Kennedy Center | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera    (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/27/us-judge-questions-the-push-to-add-trumps-name-back-to-the-kennedy-center)                                               (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/8/27/us-judge-questions-the-push-to-add-trumps-name-back-to-the-kennedy-center)  (https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP26239711814568-1787865629.jpg?resize=1200%2C675)  (../../../../wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP26239711814568-1787865629.jpg@resize=770,513&quality=80)     (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org) (https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://www.google-analytics.com) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (https://static.chartbeat.com/) (../../../../static/css/vendor~main~d08ff9cb.24bf1742.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~748942c6.6c6e15fe.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~b07b7304.25927f0e.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~6e6dca10.74fd263a.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/css/component~main~5db14389.c7afea12.r2.chunk.css) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Bold.52bb58c8.woff2) (../../../../static/media/Roboto-Regular.c5bf51b6.woff2)  (../../../../static/css/vendor~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blo~5f903362.2e08e417.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~aje/containers/home-page~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-~9c0c5d0c.c65718e9.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~containers/amp-live-blog-container~containers~72501995.3d2cbba2.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/component~components/video-article/videoPageDispatcher~pages/amp-article~pages/article-page~493df0b3.1e546aab.r2.chunk.css)  (../../../../static/css/common~493df0b3.5839b1ed.r2.chunk.css)   Skip links (us-judge-questions-the-push-to-add-trumps-name-back-to-the-kennedy-center@traffic_source=rss.html#main-content-area) Skip to Content  (https://www.aljazeera.com/)          (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Sign up  Show navigation menu     Navigation menu (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News    Show more news sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/) Africa   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia/) Asia   (https://www.aljazeera.com/us-canada/) US & Canada   (https://www.aljazeera.com/latin-america/) Latin America   (https://www.aljazeera.com/europe/) Europe   (https://www.aljazeera.com/asia-pacific/) Asia Pacific      (https://www.aljazeera.com/middle-east/) Middle East   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/explainer/) Explained   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sports) Sport   (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinion/) Opinion   (https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/) Video   More   Show more sections  (https://www.aljazeera.com/features/) Features   (https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/) Economy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/human-rights/) Human Rights   (https://www.aljazeera.com/climate-crisis) Climate Crisis   (https://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/) Investigations   (https://www.aljazeera.com/interactives/) Interactives   (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/) In Pictures   (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/science-and-technology/) Science & Technology   (https://www.aljazeera.com/audio/podcasts) Podcasts   (https://www.aljazeera.com/travel) Travel   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored/) Sponsored Content        (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/live) play    Live    Click here to search search     Sign up        Navigation menu caret-left    (https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/donald-trump/) Donald Trump    (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/this-is-america/2026/7/28/trump-netanyahu-and-the-iran-question) Trump, Netanyahu and the Iran question   (https://www.aljazeera.com/video/the-bottom-line/2026/5/24/how-will-iran-war-fallout-impact-upcoming-us-elections) How Iran war fallout may shape US elections   (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2026/5/19/how-the-shape-of-a-map-can-determine-the-us-midterm-elections) A visual guide to redistricting     caret-right         (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/) News |(https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/donald-trump/) Donald Trump   US judge questions the push to add Trump’s name back to the Kennedy Center The venue’s board of directors, stacked with supporters of the president, voted to add his name again despite past ruling.   Listen   Listen (3 mins)       Save       Share US judge questions the push to add Trump’s name back to the Kennedy Center on social media share-nodes    Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fuzlods) facebook      (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=US%20judge%20questions%20the%20push%20to%20add%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20name%20back%20to%20the%20Kennedy%20Center&source=sharethiscom&related=sharethis&via=AJEnglish&url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fuzlods) x    (whatsapp://send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fuzlods) whatsapp-stroke    (https://aje.news/uzlods)  copylink          google       Add Al Jazeera on Google  info      (the facade of the Kennedy Center)   Tarps obscure the facade of the Kennedy Center, where Donald Trump's name was previously added [File: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP]   (https://www.aljazeera.com/author/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458)     By  (https://www.aljazeera.com/author/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458) Al Jazeera Staff , Reutersand The Associated Press   Published On 27 Aug 2026 27 Aug 2026    A United States judge has questioned why the (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/25/trump-administration-kennedy-center-may-be-demolished-if-repairs-not-made) Kennedy Center is rushing to restore President Donald Trump’s name to the performing arts venue after it was ordered removed in a previous ruling. US District Court Judge Christopher Cooper asked Trump administration lawyer Bradley Mayers on Thursday why the venue has said it must begin adding the president’s name back to the building by (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/19/kennedy-center-board-says-it-wont-try-to-immediately-restore-trumps-name) September 8 . Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/25/trump-administration-kennedy-center-may-be-demolished-if-repairs-not-made) Trump administration: Kennedy Center may be demolished if repairs not made  list 2 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/19/kennedy-center-board-says-it-wont-try-to-immediately-restore-trumps-name) Kennedy Center board says it won’t try to immediately restore Trump’s name  list 3 of 3 (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/13/kennedy-center-votes-to-restore-trumps-name-to-venue-close-for-two-years) Kennedy Center votes to restore Trump’s name to venue, close for two years   end of list  “What’s magic about that date?” Cooper asked. Mayers stated that the date is aligned with a vote by the centre’s (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/13/kennedy-center-votes-to-restore-trumps-name-to-venue-close-for-two-years) board — composed of members selected by Trump, who then installed him as the head — earlier this month. “That’s all fine and good,” Cooper responded. “What does that have to do with what Congress intended in these statutes? That’s really what’s before me.”      The legal saga around Trump’s effort to inscribe his name on the building of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, is one of several examples of the president’s desire to reshape the landscape of the national capital. In addition to changes to the performing arts centre, Trump has demolished the East Wing of the White House and sought to replace it with an (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/21/us-supreme-court-allows-trumps-ballroom-project-to-continue-for-now) enormous ballroom . He also has pushed forward with plans for an enormous (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/16/us-panel-approves-trumps-design-for-massive-arch-in-washington-dc) triumphal arch to be erected in a traffic circle not far from the historic Arlington National Cemetery. (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/29/trump-pledges-to-withdraw-from-kennedy-center-after-court-strikes-his-name) The president and his allies have faced numerous legal challenges to those efforts, with critics arguing that the projects require congressional approval. Previously, in May, Cooper found that the addition of Trump’s name to the building was illegal and that Congress alone could rebrand the building. Advertisement    He also struck down an attempt to close the building for two years. The board had described the effort as necessary to maintain the building, but critics saw the closure as retaliation against the backlash to the renaming effort. Earlier this month, however, the Trump-aligned board renewed the push to add his name back to the facade, by adding the inscription, “Restored and Renovated By President Donald J Trump”. The vote also called for the plaza in front of the venue to also be renamed after Trump. On Tuesday, administration officials (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/25/trump-administration-kennedy-center-may-be-demolished-if-repairs-not-made) threatened to demolish the Kennedy Centre if the renovations do not go through. They warned the performing arts centre would become “decrepit” without the board’s interventions. In Thursday’s hearing, however, Cooper rejected the idea that court orders were standing in the way of any repairs. “No one is stopping the center from doing any necessary repairs,” Cooper said. “The notion that continued judicial involvement is standing in the way of accomplishing necessary repairs is not quite fair.” The lawsuit against the board’s changes to the Kennedy Center was brought by Representative Joyce Beatty, a Kennedy Center trustee who represents the state of Ohio in Congress. Lawyers for Beatty said on Thursday that they view the board’s recent actions “as outright defiance” against the court. The Kennedy Center was named by Congress as a living memorial to John F Kennedy, the 35th US president who helped fundraise for its establishment. He was assassinated in 1963. Under the law, no other national memorial to Kennedy is allowed in Washington, DC.                 aj-logo             aj-logo             aj-logo       Advertisement          About About   Show more  (https://www.aljazeera.com/about-us) About Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/code-of-ethics/) Code of Ethics   (https://www.aljazeera.com/terms-and-conditions/) Terms and Conditions   (https://www.aljazeera.com/eu-eea-regulatory/) EU/EEA Regulatory Notice   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/) Privacy Policy   (https://privacy.aljazeera.net/cookie/) Cookie Policy   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Cookie Preferences    (https://trust.aljazeera.net/accessibility/) Accessibility Statement   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sitemap) Sitemap   (https://careers.aljazeera.net/) Work for us      Connect Connect   Show more  (https://network.aljazeera.net/en/contact?tid=6) Contact Us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/user-accounts-help) User Accounts Help   (https://commercial.aljazeera.net/) Advertise with us   (https://www.aljazeera.com/stay-connected) Stay Connected   (https://www.aljazeera.com/newsletters) Newsletters   (https://sat.aljazeera.net/en) Channel Finder   (https://www.aljazeera.com/schedule/) TV Schedule   (https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/) Podcasts   (https://webapps.aljazeera.net/aje/tips/) Submit a Tip   (https://www.aljazeera.com/sponsored) Paid Partner Content      Our Channels Our Channels   Show more  (http://aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Arabic   (https://www.aljazeera.com/) Al Jazeera English   (https://www.ajiunit.com/) Al Jazeera Investigative Unit   (https://www.aljazeeramubasher.net/) Al Jazeera Mubasher   (http://doc.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Documentary   (http://balkans.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Balkans   (http://ajplus.net/) AJ+      Our Network Our Network   Show more  (http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/) Al Jazeera Centre for Studies   (http://training.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Media Institute   (http://learning.aljazeera.net/) Learn Arabic   (http://liberties.aljazeera.com/en) Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights   (http://forum.aljazeera.net/) Al Jazeera Forum   (https://hotels.aljazeera.net/en) Al Jazeera Hotel Partners        Follow Al Jazeera English: (https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera) facebook       (https://twitter.com/ajenglish) twitter     (https://www.youtube.com/aljazeeraenglish) youtube     (https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/?hl=en) instagram-colored-outline                          (https://www.aljazeera.com/xml/rss/all.xml) rss       (Al Jazeera Media Network logo)   © 2026 Al Jazeera Media Network