In a status report filed Tuesday in federal court, the Kennedy Center announced it would not attempt to add President Donald J. Trump’s name to the arts complex facade before Sept. 8. The filing detailed the board's plan to install signage reading "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump, Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund." The final line regarding the endowment would only be added if the fund reaches $100 million in donations. The board also seeks to rename the physical grounds "President Donald J. Trump Plaza."
The court filing is part of an ongoing lawsuit between the Kennedy Center and Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), who serves as an ex-officio member of the center's board. The dispute involves a large tarp currently covering the entrance signage. Center officials stated in the filing that the tarp and scaffolding are "necessary element[s] of the ongoing construction activities" and serve to protect marble paneling during renovations. Lawyers for Beatty argued the tarp is being used to bypass a prior court order intended to maintain the center as a memorial exclusively for President Kennedy.
The filing also disclosed that the board reviewed two shutdown options—total and partial—prepared by Delta Consulting Group, a Virginia-based firm. Beatty’s legal team claimed the firm lacks experience in arts management. Additionally, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), an anchor tenant at the center, announced Tuesday that it will move its 2026-27 season to six different venues in the Washington, D.C. area. According to internal NSO sources cited by NPR, the orchestra faces a financial crisis attributed to boycotts by artists and audiences.
The scale of the financial impact includes a $100 million fundraising target for a new endowment fund, which is the threshold required for the Trump name to be included in the building's endowment signage. The center's physical facade, which features historic marble paneling, is at the center of the dispute; Rep. Beatty's lawyers expressed concern that the marble may have already been damaged by previous efforts to attach President Trump's name. This sets a precedent for how the names of former presidents are integrated into existing national memorials and the extent to which ex-officio board members can challenge board resolutions in court.
The immediate next step in the case is a potential ruling by Judge Christopher R. Cooper. Lawyers for Rep. Beatty have urged the judge to issue a decision before the Sept. 8 deadline set by the Kennedy Center. The center has not yet publicly responded to inquiries regarding the specific consultants used for the renovation project, and several documents, including the full building plans and the Delta Consulting Group report, currently remain under seal.
The NSO’s upcoming 2026-27 season is scheduled to proceed away from the Kennedy Center regardless of whether the building is open or closed for construction. The exact dates for the start of the orchestra's rotating season were not specified in the filing. The court has not yet set a definitive date for a hearing on the request for a speedy ruling.