Story perspectives

Judge Orders Trump’s Name Removed From Kennedy Center

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 4:27 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Trump Seeks Naming

U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to add his name to the Kennedy Center façade.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the name removed in May, citing the memorial statute.
Trump appealed the order.
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) sued to keep his name off.
Justice Department attorneys warned the center could face financial and safety ruin without Trump’s recognition.

Summary

Floca Redirects Funds

Whistleblowers sent a letter to Congress alleging executive director Matt Floca halted $9.3 million waterproofing repairs.
The letter says Floca redirected earmarked money to cosmetic changes, such as repainting columns white.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse requested related documents by Oct. 8, citing excessive, self-serving spending.
Whitehouse’s probe also notes the Kennedy Center CFO’s sudden departure.
Congress originally earmarked $257 million for the Kennedy Center in President Donald Trump’s 2025 tax cut bill.

History

Historical Context

The 1990 congressional cut to the National Endowment for the Arts, driven by Senators Al D’Amato and Jesse Helms after the 1989 Serrano and Mapplethorpe controversies, reduced the agency’s annual budget—then around $160 million—to lower levels, establishing precedents for content-based restrictions. That same precedent underlies today’s Justice Department and Rep. Joyce Beatty challenge to adding Donald Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center.

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Trump Seeks Naming

U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to add his name to the Kennedy Center façade.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the name removed in May, citing the memorial statute.
Trump appealed the order.
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) sued to keep his name off.
Justice Department attorneys warned the center could face financial and safety ruin without Trump’s recognition.

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