WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (DC Times Online) — The Kennedy Center’s board has voted to add President Donald J. Trump’s name to the Washington arts complex in two ways: an inscription on the building and a proposed name for its grounds.
The board also voted to close the center’s main building for two years of renovations while keeping the separate REACH wing open, according to CNN, USA Today and people briefed on the Aug. 13 decision.
The moves come after a federal judge ruled that the board could not change the Kennedy Center’s formal name without Congress. The center remains formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
What the board approved
The board voted to add the words “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” beneath the center’s existing facade sign, according to reports describing the board resolution.
It also voted to name the grounds, or an outdoor area, “President Donald J. Trump Plaza,” according to Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio trustee, and other people familiar with the decision. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was identified in reports as the person who proposed the plaza name.
The board’s reported action is not the same as changing the center’s formal legal name. The reports do not establish whether the plaza label would be a legal designation, an informal site name or a change that would require additional approval.
The board also wants the words “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund” placed on the building if the fund reaches a $100 million endowment, Fox News reported. The amount currently raised, the identities of potential donors and the fund’s legal status were not provided.
Why the naming is disputed
The Kennedy Center was established by federal law, and the legal fight focuses on whether its board has authority to change the name Congress gave it.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May that the board lacked authority to rename the center and ordered Trump’s name removed, according to Axios, ABC News and other reports. The name-removal process was reported as complete in June.
Cooper was quoted by The Advocate as writing: “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
Beatty said the new actions attempt to get around that ruling. “This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the Court’s ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed,” she said in a statement quoted by ABC News.
Her lawyer, Norm Eisen, also criticized the board’s action, according to ABC News. The Kennedy Center had not publicly confirmed the plaza vote in the Washington Times report, and the underlying board resolutions and official vote records were not included in the available materials.
Fox News reported that the resolution recognizing Trump’s contributions passed 20-3 and that the partial-closure resolution passed 23-3. It identified Beatty, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Rick Larsen as voting against both measures, based on a source familiar with the meeting. An official vote certification was not provided.
What the renovation means for the arts center
The board’s plan calls for the main Kennedy Center building to close partially for two years. The REACH, a separate wing, is expected to remain open, according to CNN and USA Today.
The available reports do not provide a detailed construction schedule, cost breakdown or start date. The center is expected to provide renovation and closure information to the federal judge by Aug. 18, according to CNN.
For Washington’s performing-arts community, the decision affects more than signage. The main building contains the center’s principal performance spaces, while REACH offers separate performance, education and public areas. The available information does not say which programs would move, pause or continue during the renovation period.
The board’s actions are also part of a broader dispute over the center’s leadership and direction. CNN reported that the board voted in December 2025 to call the institution the “Trump Kennedy Center.” In February 2026, Trump announced plans to close the center, describing the building as being in poor condition.
The latest votes leave two questions unresolved: whether the proposed names can be implemented under the federal law governing the Kennedy Center, and how the planned renovation would affect performances and public access. Those issues are expected to be addressed through the federal court proceedings and the center’s renovation information due Aug. 18.
