TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A US federal judge ruled on Friday that only Congress can alter the name of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts or make renovations, rebuking the Trump administration, which had planned to close the venue for renovations and had added Trump's name to it.
"The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board's unilateral say-so," US District Judge Christopher Cooper wrote.
"Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," the judge added.
Cooper also ruled that the Kennedy Center board's vote to close the facility was "ill-informed and seemingly preordained" with no regard for its legal obligations.
The ruling was the latest legal setback for Trump's efforts to leave his personal mark on Washington's landscape and landmarks.
In response, Trump announced that he was canceling his proposed renovation of the center and returning control of the venue to Congress.
Trump: Judge Should Be 'Ashamed'
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, Trump railed against the judge, pointing out that he was appointed by former President Barack Obama and saying that Cooper "should be ashamed of himself."
Trump defended his decision to close the arts venue for renovations, arguing that he was saving the place from years of "neglect, decay, and poor maintenance."
In his Truth Social post, the president said he would give control of the venue back to Congress.
Trump became interested in the Kennedy Center's operations after winning the 2024 election. He installed a handpicked board that named him chairman and his name was added to the facade of a building.
The Kennedy Center has kept up performances ahead of the closure, though at a much slower pace than in previous years.
US House of Representatives lawmaker Joyce Beatty said the ruling was a win for the Kennedy Center and the performing arts.
"Now hopefully people can come back to work, we can continue to be the Kennedy Center that we were intended to be," she added.
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