A federal judge has ordered the removal of Donald Trump’s name from a prominent display at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., marking a rare legal defeat for the former president in a dispute over institutional branding.
The ruling, issued late Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, compels the center’s management to cover or replace a series of plaques that had been installed in January 2017 to commemorate Trump’s role in the venue’s renovation. The plaques, which bore Trump’s name and the presidential seal, were part of a larger tribute to donors and political figures involved in the project. But the judge determined that the installation violated federal law governing the use of the presidential seal without written permission from the current administration.
The case was brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a watchdog group that argued the plaques constituted an improper political endorsement. The Kennedy Center, a national cultural institution that receives federal funding, is required to maintain nonpartisan neutrality. The judge agreed, noting that the continued display of Trump’s name could give the impression that the center was endorsing his political activities.
Trump’s legal team argued that the plaques were a historical recognition of his administration’s contributions to the arts, pointing to a $12 million gift from the Trump Foundation to the center’s renovation fund. However, the judge dismissed this, stating that the timing of the plaques’ installation during his presidency and their prominent placement suggested a political motive. The ruling orders the center to remove the plaques within 60 days or face daily fines.
The Kennedy Center has not commented publicly on the order, but sources close to the board indicate that the institution will comply. The center’s president, Deborah Rutter, has previously sought to distance the institution from partisan controversies, emphasising its role as a non-political venue for the performing arts.
This is not the first time Trump’s name has become embroiled in legal disputes at cultural institutions. In 2019, a similar battle erupted over a plaque at the Trump International Tower in New York, which was later removed after a court ruled it violated building code. But the Kennedy Center case carries higher symbolic weight, given the venue’s status as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and a hub for American cultural diplomacy.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions. Supporters of the former president accuse the Biden administration of weaponising the courts to erase his legacy. Senator Ted Cruz called the ruling “petty and vindictive.” Critics, however, see it as a necessary defence of institutional integrity. Norman Eisen, CREW’s chairman, said the judgment “sends a clear message that no one, not even a former president, can co-opt public institutions for personal or political gain.”
The removal process is expected to be straightforward, requiring only the replacement of the plaques with standard donor recognition panels. But the broader political implications may reverberate as Trump continues to weigh another presidential run. The Kennedy Center, an institution built on the idea of bipartisan respect for the arts, now finds itself at the centre of a culture war that shows no signs of abating.
