Judge blocks closure of Kennedy Center, says board can't add Trump's name

Politics Judge blocks closure of Kennedy Center and says board can't add Trump's name By Jacob Rosen, Jacob Rosen Justice Department Reporter Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump's 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." Read Full Bio Jacob Rosen, Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn Senior Reporter, Politics Melissa Quinn is a senior reporter for CBSNews.com, where she covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Read Full Bio Melissa Quinn May 29, 2026 / 3:06 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — A federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center from temporarily closing its doors during proposed renovations, and ruled that the institution's board acted unlawfully when it added President Trump's name to the building.In a 94-page opinion on Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in favor of Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a member of the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees, who filed a lawsuit challenging the institution's name change and plans to close for two years for extensive repairs beginning this summer."The Kennedy Center's organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board's unilateral say-so. Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," wrote Cooper, who was named to the bench by President Barack Obama. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen in Washington, D.C., on May 16, 2026. Al Drago / Getty Images Referring to the impending closure, the judge said that "in ratifying President Trump's closure announcement, the Board was derelict in discharging the full range of its responsibilities to the Center.""More specifically, the Board based its decision on an insufficient, one-sided pres...