WASHINGTON – The federal judge who ordered President Donald Trump's name removed from the Kennedy Center has asked the administration to report by June 19 on plans for the Kennedy Center to remain open with public events during a renovation project.
The administration had announced the center would close July 4 for two years for $250 million in renovations. But in addition to removing Trump's name from the iconic arts center, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the administration's plan to "wind-down" or "close" programming activities entirely.
Cooper asked for plans "for public access and ongoing programming, activities, and operations after July 5, 2026."
Protesters wave a US flag and hold a sign reading "you're no JFK" as workers build scaffolding near the signage for the "Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" in Washington, DC, on June 12, 2026. A US federal judge on June 12 and the Justice Department to halt the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the performing arts venue. District Judge Christopher Cooper, in a ruling last month, ordered Trump's name taken off the iconic building in the nation's capital by Friday.