The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is moving forward with a new initiative honoring President Donald Trump after a federal judge blocked an effort to rename the iconic Washington, D.C., institution after him.
According to reporting from CBS News, the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees approved the creation of a new endowment bearing Trump’s name during a board meeting Thursday. The move comes just days after a federal court ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the exterior of the building, ruling that only Congress has the authority to change the center’s official name.
Sources familiar with the matter told CBS News that the new fund will focus on addressing the Kennedy Center’s “physical disrepair” and supporting long-term maintenance needs. The endowment would supplement existing private fundraising efforts as well as the center’s federal funding, which totals approximately $257 million.
The development follows a months-long battle over the future of the nation’s premier performing arts venue.
According to The Hill, Trump reshaped the Kennedy Center’s leadership after returning to office, removing existing leadership and appointing a slate of trustees who later selected him as chairman of the board. In December, the board voted to rename the institution “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” a move that immediately sparked controversy.
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), who serves as an ex officio member of the board, filed suit challenging both the renaming effort and a planned two-year closure of the center for renovations.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in Beatty’s favor, determining that the Kennedy Center’s name can only be changed through congressional action because Congress originally established the institution as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Cooper also blocked the board’s plan to shut down the facility for renovations, finding that trustees exceeded their authority.
Following the ruling, workers removed Trump’s name from the exterior of the building over the weekend. The Trump administration confirmed its compliance with the court order after receiving a brief extension due to weather concerns.
The decision to create a Trump-branded endowment appears to provide the board with an alternative path to honor the president while avoiding direct conflict with the court’s ruling on the facility’s official name.
The controversy underscores broader questions about the Kennedy Center’s mission and governance. Established in 1971 as a living memorial to President Kennedy, the institution has long served as America’s national cultural center. Critics of the renaming effort argued that attaching another president’s name to the landmark would undermine its original purpose, while supporters viewed the move as recognition of Trump’s influence over the institution’s future direction.
The new endowment also arrives amid ongoing concerns about the condition of the Kennedy Center’s facilities and the role of taxpayer funding in supporting one of Washington’s most prominent cultural institutions.
