Federal Appeals Court Rules Trump’s Name Must Stay Off Kennedy Center During Legal Dispute

Kennedy Center Facade Naming Dispute·Updated July 8, 2026

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Federal Appeals Court Rules Trump’s Name Must Stay Off Kennedy Center During Legal Dispute

A federal appeals court ruled that Donald Trump's name cannot be restored to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts while legal challenges continue. The court denied a request to put the name back on the building, stating that the former president's name must remain off the facade as the case moves forward. This decision follows a lower court order that mandated the removal of the name earlier this year. The legal battle centers on whether the facility can be rebranded. The Kennedy Center Protection Act was introduced in Congress to ensure the site's name remains unchanged and to cancel the board's vote to add Trump's name. Judges noted there was a lack of evidence that removal harms fundraising for the institution.

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