Trump takes another ego hit: His name must be removed from culture hall

©Library of Congress via Unsplash

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a premier venue for the performing arts in the US, with more than 2,000 performances a year and two million visitors. Its many visitors come to enjoy classical and contemporary music, opera, drama, dance, theater, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, comedy and symphonies from the U.S. and other countries. The arts center is a living monument in honor of President John F. Kennedy. It was designated as such by an act of Congress in 1964 and opened in 1971, shortly after Kennedy's death in 1963. But Donald Trump jumped on the opportunity to snatch the name from legendary U.S. President J.F.K.

Trump wanted his name to be given to the arts center and no longer be named after John F. Kennedy. To accomplish this, he had several confidants join the board of directors. These then appointed him as president of the center. The board then decided to officially rename the institution the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Trump's little plan seemed to work out perfectly.

However, the eye-catching name change was not appreciated by everyone. Opponents of Trump's name change argued that it could not just happen like that and that it was even illegal.

Setback for Trump

A federal judge in Washington has now definitively ruled, and the president is clearly not set up with the judicial intervention.

Indeed, this week, the federal judge ruled that the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. must remove Donald Trump's name from its building and website. The cultural center's planned year-long closure for a major renovation is also being put on hold for the time being. Indeed, the center may not close its doors completely because it's required by law to always offer minimal cultural programming.

Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the center's founding law clearly states that the institution may only bear the name of former President John F. Kennedy. All references to any other name must therefore disappear. "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change that name again," the judge said in his ruling. The ruling fell on Kennedy's birthday.

"No American president has ever been treated so unfairly."

Trump reacts with fury. "Judge Cooper should be ashamed of himself," the president said. "I cannot be involved with a situation where danger to the Public is allowed to flourish in plain and open sight." The American president is clearly not giving in. Meanwhile, it also became clear that Donald Trump is going to turn over the management of the Kennedy Center to Congress. He announced this via Truth Social. "Based on the fact that the Radical Left Democrats care more about opposing your favorite Presidents, ME, than saving a dying Performing Arts Center (...), we are going to work with Congress to turn this failing institution back over to them," it sounds in a lengthy post.

"No American president has ever been treated as unfairly by the courts as I have," Trump says of the ruling. He seems resigned to the decision, though. "I have directed the Department of Commerce to make all necessary arrangements with Congress to allow a complete transfer of this institution so that they will have responsibility for operations, management and governance."