A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump's name was illegally added to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and ordered the administration to remove it from the building's façade and all official materials within two weeks. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also blocked the administration's plan to close the nationally recognized cultural institution for major renovations that had been scheduled to begin in July and last approximately two years.

Judge Cooper, an Obama appointee, found that the Kennedy Center board's March 16 vote to close the facility was "ill-informed and seemingly preordained" and that the board had "overstepped its statutory bounds" by unilaterally adding Trump's name to the center. Cooper wrote that Congress established the Kennedy Center's name by statute, and only Congress holds the authority to change it, adding that no other individual may be memorialized on the building's front portico without congressional authorization.

President Trump responded sharply on his Truth Social platform, calling the judge's decision an overreach and saying the judge "should be ashamed of himself." Trump announced he was withdrawing from his proposed renovation effort and returning control of the institution to Congress, writing that without the freedom to lead the project on his own terms, he had "no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey."

The ruling represents the latest legal setback for Trump's efforts to reshape landmarks and institutions in the nation's capital. The administration had positioned the Kennedy Center renovation as a signature cultural initiative, and the planned closure would have significantly disrupted the center's programming and operations for the duration of the work. It remains unclear whether Congress will take any action in response to the ruling or whether the administration will appeal the decision.