WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the Kennedy Center board’s March 16 vote to close the facility for major renovations and ruled that adding Donald Trump’s name to the center exceeded the board’s statutory authority. Cooper found the board’s decision to be “ill-informed and seemingly preordained” with no regard for its legal obligations.

Cooper concluded in his ruling that Congress granted the Kennedy Center its name and only Congress can change it. He further determined that the board “overstepped its statutory bounds” by unilaterally renaming the institution. The judge held hearings in late April on parallel lawsuits challenging the renovation project and ultimately ruled in favor of a request by Rep. Joyce Beatty while rejecting a separate challenge brought by cultural and historic preservation organizations.

Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board, expressed concern that unsupervised renovations could damage the building’s historic integrity. “I was very fearful that we’ll see what happened with the East Wing and what happened with the Rose Garden,” she said, referencing Trump’s past White House renovations.

Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, defended the board’s actions and expressed confidence that an appeals court would uphold its decision to recognize Trump’s contributions. “Though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi stated. She added that $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress remains available for the project and that the institution is “committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.” Daravi said the ruling would be reviewed “carefully.” Justice Department attorneys had argued that the renovation plans were limited in scope and within the board’s authority, but Cooper’s decision prevents the closure and renaming from proceeding as planned.