Trump Administration Defies Court Order on Kennedy Center
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum refused to commit to complying with a federal court order requiring President Donald Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center within two weeks. When asked on CNN's State of the Union whether the name would be removed, Burgum deflected by suggesting the ruling might be appealed and claimed "there's controversy on both sides," despite U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper's clear ruling that only Congress has authority to change the center's name under the 1964 statute that created it.
Trump's administration had added his name to the building's facade in December 2025 after the board, comprised entirely of Trump appointees, voted to rename it "The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." Judge Cooper found this decision violated federal law, writing that "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it." The board's vote to close the venue for a two-year renovation was also deemed "ill-informed and seemingly preordained" by the judge, who noted the decision lacked sufficient independent analysis of the center's actual needs.
Trump responded to the court order by attacking Judge Cooper and his wife on Truth Social in posts exceeding 1,300 words, making unfounded claims about the judge's impartiality and alleging without evidence that Cooper's wife, attorney Amy Jeffress, influenced the ruling because of her work with President Biden's legal team. Trump claimed the center was "rusted, rotted, and rat and bug infested," language echoed by Burgum, who cited deterioration in HVAC systems to justify the renovation as necessary.
The Kennedy Center controversy reflects deeper tensions over Trump's control of the institution. Multiple high-profile artists have withdrawn or canceled performances in response to the takeover, including folk singer Kristy Lee, jazz group the Cookers, and the producers of Hamilton, with creator Lin-Manuel Miranda stating the center was "not created in this spirit" under Trump's leadership. The center has already conducted massive layoffs in preparation for the shutdown.
Judge Cooper's ruling only temporarily blocks the closure and does not prevent the board from reconsidering the decision if it does so with proper analysis of the center's actual operational and maintenance needs. The administration's refusal to acknowledge the court's authority to enforce this decision, combined with Burgum's equivocation, demonstrates a pattern of disregarding judicial orders when they conflict with Trump's interests. A spokeswoman for the center stated confidence that "on appeal the court will uphold the Board's will," signaling continued defiance of the judge's determination.