WASHINGTON - A federal judge has barred the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees from adding new inscriptions honoring Donald Trump or renaming the Center’s grounds, ruling the actions violate a prior injunction and federal law that limits memorials at the institution to President John F. Kennedy.
The Board approved a resolution on August 13 to recognize Trump’s "current and future" contributions by inscribing "renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump" on the building and naming the campus "President Donald J. Trump Plaza."
The judge found both actions would unlawfully create new memorials, which Congress expressly prohibited in the Kennedy Center’s governing statute.
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WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 19: Workers adjust the name of the "John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" on December 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted in what they say was a unanimous decision to ren …
The court also reviewed a proposed inscription tied to a $100 million endowment but ruled that issue could not be settled yet because the fund has raised no money.
The judge ordered the Board to notify the court if fundraising reaches that threshold.
Trump has spent much of his second term reshaping Washington, tearing down the East Wing to build a new White House ballroom and pursuing plans for a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery and a renovated golf course along the Potomac River.
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The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.