Kennedy Center Board Votes to Restore Trump's Name, Approve Two-Year Renovation Closure

On August 13, 2026, the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees, whose members are largely Trump appointees, voted to restore President Trump's name to the performing arts center and to proceed with a two-year closure of the main building to allow for substantial renovations, with some outdoor programming or a smaller addition potentially remaining open. The board's move to restore Trump's name came months after a federal judge had ordered the name removed, ruling that only Congress could authorize such a change. The board also voted to designate the center's grounds as "President Donald J. Trump Plaza" as part of the broader renovation and rebranding effort. Following the vote, the board reportedly planned to add an inscription reading "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump" to the building. A Democratic lawmaker subsequently asked a federal judge to block the inscription of Trump's name on the Kennedy Center, citing the earlier court ruling on congressional authority over naming. Amid this ongoing legal battle, the Kennedy Center agreed to delay physically placing Trump's name on the building's front while the litigation proceeds. The legal dispute over the naming decision remains unresolved, with a court asked to determine whether the board's action conflicts with the earlier ruling limiting naming authority to Congress. Specific details of the renovation timeline, funding, and the exact scope of programming that will continue during the two-year closure were not fully specified across the available reporting. It remains unclear how the litigation will affect the renovation schedule or whether further legal challenges to the board's actions will follow.