Key Facts

• U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled against the Kennedy Center board’s decision to rename the center after President Trump.
• The judge stated the center is legally named for President John F. Kennedy, and only Congress can change this.
• The judge blocked the Kennedy Center from closing for two years during proposed repairs starting this summer.
• The board removed Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty’s voting rights on a key board decision, which the judge found unlawful.
• The judge allowed repair work to continue but required the board to follow legal rules before deciding on closure again.
• President Trump replaced several Kennedy Center trustees with his allies and became chair of the board early in his current term.
• The board changed the center’s name in December to include President Trump’s name alongside Kennedy’s.
• The judge emphasized he is not telling the center how to run its programs, only enforcing legal limits on board actions.