A Federal Judge Rules Against Closure of the Kennedy Center

A federal judge has decided against shutting down the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center for repairs, additionally ordering the removal of Trump’s name from the venue.

In a ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper noted that while the center’s trustees “may have figured out the best ways to close it,” the choice to shut it down for two years starting July 4 for repairs was “not one of those ways,” as reported by NBC News.

“The interim injunction does not stop the Center from moving forward with its necessary capital restoration work,” said the judge, emphasizing that the repairs are “sorely needed.”

The preliminary injunction does not prevent the board from deciding to close the center after it assesses its responsibilities, according to the report.

In a post on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump criticized the ruling, claiming his administration planned to “transfer the center to Congress so they can figure out what to do with it.”

Trump expressed his dismay over Judge Cooper’s ruling, who was appointed by former President Obama. He said, “Shockingly, Judge Christopher Cooper…ruled that the Kennedy Center, set to close in early July for significant renovations due to years of neglect and poor maintenance, cannot close for these essential renovations. It would be impossible to manage without such a closure.”

Earlier reports from Breitbart News highlighted that Matt Floca, director of the Trump Kennedy Center, showed reporters various impaired areas that many theatergoers had not seen before.

Images provided to the media displayed “flooding damage to the electrical storage room and damage to the storage room itself.” Reporters were informed that “the elevators are outdated and operated by decades-old computers,” necessitating replacement and repairs.

In his detailed ruling, spanning 94 pages, the judge addressed the removal of Trump’s name, asserting that “Congress named the Kennedy Center and only Congress has the authority to change it.” He clarified that the center’s statutes indicate it must be named for President Kennedy and cannot be altered based on the board’s unilateral decisions.

In December, the board of directors at the Kennedy Center unanimously voted to add Trump’s name to the venue.