Trump threatens to halt Kennedy Center renovations over blocked name inscription

President Donald Trump has said planned renovations of the Kennedy Center will not proceed unless a higher court overturns a ruling blocking the venue from inscribing his name on its marble facade, Forbes reports.

According to report, District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on Tuesday that the Kennedy Center “cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else” without congressional approval, citing the venue’s founding statute. Trump, reacting on Truth Social, said renovations “cannot begin” until the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rules, adding that Justice Department lawyers would seek an expedited appeal.

Cooper further blocked plans to rename the grounds “President Donald J. Trump Plaza,” dismissing the board’s financial-peril claims as unsupported. With the board already having voted to close the venue, the dispute now heads toward a Supreme Court showdown that could determine the Kennedy Center’s future identity altogether.