In a blow to Trump's ambition Kennedy Center ordered to remove Trump's name by June 12

The Kennedy Centre on Thursday ordered to remove all references to the US President Donald Trump by June 12, 2026, following a federal court ruling that found the renaming of the monument illegal. The memo issued by the Kennedy Centre states that all staff must immediately change email signatures, letterhead and other documents “to reflect the name as ‘The John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts,’ or ‘Kennedy Centre.’”

This includes email signatures, letterhead, voicemails, press releases, digital websites and official documents. The deadline for the renaming is June 12, according to The New York Times.

The sweeping directive comes less than a week after US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on May 29 that the organic statute establishing the landmark dictates it is meant to honour "President Kennedy alone". It said that since Congress originally named the building in 1964, only Congress holds the authority to rename it. “We are complying with the court’s order while evaluating all legal options to preserve this revitalisation and recognise President Trump’s leadership,” said Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations of the Kennedy Centre.

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The White House announced in December that the Kennedy Centre's board voted "unanimously" to rename the cultural centre of the Trump-Kennedy Centre, something Trump had long desired for his legacy. The board, which Trump stacked with sycophants such as fired former Attorney General Pam Bondi, had voted in December 2025 to formally alter the venue's title to "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts."

This triggered a swift lawsuit from Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a member of the centre's board. After the judgment, Trump was frustrated with the outcome and posted on social media that he would abandon his pursuit of a Kennedy Centre redesign and transfer the oversight of the centre back to Congress if he did not maintain control over decision-making. However, the Department of Justice added that it will continue to help President Trump's ability to restore the centre to its original glory.