'REMOVE HIS NAME...': Trump's JFK Dream Collapses; Obama-Appointed Judge Delivers Crushing Blow

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:02]A major setback for US President Donald Trump after a federal judge ordered the removal of his name from the iconic Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, dealing a significant blow to his efforts to leave a personal imprint on one of Washington's most prominent cultural landmarks.

[00:00:20]US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the institution cannot be officially renamed without congressional approval. The judge also blocked Trump's plan to temporarily shut down the venue for a year'slong renovation project. In a stinging rebuke, Cooper ordered the administration to remove all signage bearing Trump's name from the venue within 14 days and immediately stop using the title Trump Kennedy Center in official communications, promotional materials, and public branding.

[00:00:55]The judge emphasized that the Kennedy C Center's legal charter clearly establishes the institution as a living memorial to former President John F.

[00:01:03]Kennedy and grants no authority to the board to alter its formal name unilaterally. The lawsuit was brought by Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Batty, who serves on the Kennedy Center board by virtue of her position in Congress.

[00:01:18]Batty challenged the legality of the board's decision to rename the landmark institution. Trump reacted furiously to the ruling, unleashing a blistering 580word attack on Truth Social. In the lengthy post, the president announced that he was abandoning his proposed renovation plans and returning control of the institution to Congress. Unless I'm free to do what I do better than anyone else. Bring this institution back physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into Never Neverland," Trump wrote. The president also directed his anger at Judge Cooper, highlighting that he was appointed by former President Barack Obama and declaring that the judge should be ashamed of himself.

[00:02:05]Trump further argued that large-scale renovations scheduled to begin next month would be impossible without closing the venue. He warned that keeping the center open during construction would create serious safety risks. I cannot be involved with a situation where danger to the public is allowed to flourish in plain and open sight. Trump said the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is the United States premier cultural institution situated along the Ptoac River in Washington DC.

[00:02:41]Opened on September 8th, 1971, it was established as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Originally conceived as the National Cultural Center in 1958, the institution was renamed in Kennedy's honor following his assassination in 1963.

[00:02:59]Today, the complex houses multiple performance venues and serves as the artistic home of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera. The controversy erupted after the Kennedy Center board, led by Trump as chairman and supported by several allies serving as trustees, voted last year to rename the landmark institution the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial for the Performing Arts. Soon after the vote, Trump's name was installed above Kennedy's on the building's facade, sparking fierce criticism from board members, arts advocates, and members of the Kennedy family, who questioned both the legality and appropriateness of the move. The renaming effort was widely seen as part of Trump's broader campaign to reshape some of Washington's most recognizable institutions and landmarks. Following the court's ruling, members of the Kennedy family celebrated the decision.

[00:03:56]Kennedy's niece, Maria Shrivever, described the judgment as an appropriate birthday present for her late uncle.

[00:04:02]While welcoming the ruling, Shrivever acknowledged that the legal battle may be far from over, noting that the Trump administration could still appeal. "I know they'll probably appeal and the story isn't over, but for today, let's celebrate a great birthday gift," she wrote on X. For now, however, a federal judge has halted Trump's bid to place his name on one of America's most revered cultural institutions, setting the stage for what could become yet another high-profile legal and political showdown.

[00:04:36]>> Uh, you announced the Warriors Dividend last night in your prime time speech.

[00:04:40]Very patriotic, very generous. What was the rationale and the thought process?

[00:04:44]How did you come up with the idea? What made you want to get back to?

[00:04:47]>> Well, 1776 was easy to come up with because we're actually at 1775.

[00:04:52]You know, the number was 1775. And I said, "Wow, I think we could afford one more dollar, but we actually they came up to me. It was $1,775."

[00:05:05]So, I said, "Well, let's add a dollar to it. I think we could find that." And uh very simple uh we've had uh a military that in my opinion by other presidents was not treated well. They're incredible. They're our finest people.

[00:05:20]They're protecting us. And because of tariffs, we're taking in billions and billions of dollars more than we ever have before with no inflation. By the way, with no inflation. You saw the inflation numbers. They just came out today. What great timing. Practically no inflation. And yet we're taking in hundreds of billions of dollars. And this is small potatoes by comparison, but it's a way of taking care of our warriors, our soldiers. And uh and I appreciate that question, Daniel.

[00:05:51]>> Yeah, Caroline, >> it was an easy one.

[00:05:52]>> She uh she just posted on your press secretary that the uh board members of the Kennedy Center uh voted unanimously to rename it the Trump Kennedy Center.

[00:06:01]What is your reaction to that?

[00:06:02]>> Well, I was honored by it. It's a board is a very distinguished board. Most distinguished people in the country and I was surprised by it and I was honored by it. You know, we've we're saving the building. We saved the building. The building was in such bad shape both physically, financially, and every other way. And now it's very solid, very strong. We have uh something going on television, I guess, on the 23rd December. I think it's going to get very big ratings and and the Kennedy Center is really uh really back strongly. It's in very bad shape, very very bad shape physically.

[00:06:37]And uh we're also to get co get Congress to put up a lot of money and other people to put up a lot of money. We had a lot of donors come in for record setting numbers. So we we saved the Kennedy Center and I was really this was brought up by one of the very distinguished board members and they voted on it and there's a lot of board members and they voted unanimously. So I was very honored by Thank you.

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