"If My Name Isn't Included, Close It Down!"... Trump Pulls Obstinate Move to Shut Down Kennedy Center

A U.S. federal court has once again blocked a plan by the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Kennedy Center), a major cultural facility in Washington, D.C., to add President Donald Trump's name to the institution.

Reuters, the Associated Press, and other media outlets reported that Christopher Cooper, a judge at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ordered on September 15 (local time) that the plan to place President Trump's name on the exterior walls of the Kennedy Center building be halted.

Judge Cooper also ordered that plans to rename the plaza in front of the center as "President Donald J. Trump Plaza" cannot proceed.

He stated, "No monument to President Trump, anyone else, or anything else can be installed at the Kennedy Center without congressional approval."

The Kennedy Center board unanimously voted in December of last year to change the center's name to the "Trump-Kennedy Center" and added President Trump's name to the building's exterior, but Judge Cooper ordered its removal last May.

Consequently, President Trump's name was taken down in June, and the center's exterior has since been obscured by scaffolding and a white tarp.

However, the center's board voted in August to designate the exterior wall inscription as "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Restored and Remodeled by President Trump."

Additionally, the board pursued changing the name of the plaza in front of the center to honor President Trump.

In response, U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty (Democrat-Ohio), an ex officio member of the board, filed a lawsuit arguing that these name changes violated the court's previous ruling.

Although the federal court once again put the brakes on the plan to display President Trump's name at the center, President Trump and the board responded with a drastic measure: shutting down the center.

Citing sources, the Associated Press reported that the board held a meeting on this day and voted to close the Kennedy Center, citing financial difficulties and aging facilities.

President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were also reported to have participated in the meeting.

The board argues that unless President Trump's contributions are appropriately indicated in the center's name, it is unlikely he will provide financial support for the remodeling.

Following the board's vote, President Trump stated on Truth Social that the shutdown decision would take effect immediately, but actual remodeling and reconstruction could not begin until a federal appeals court rules on the name approved by the board.

He warned, "Unlikely as that may be, if the (appeals court) ruling is negative, and if that ruling is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the reconstruction and remodeling of the center will not take place."

At the same time, President Trump stated that 17 million USD (approx. 23.2 billion KRW) he raised had been deposited into the center's account to maintain its operations.

He also stated that the Department of Justice legal team would request an expedited appeal regarding the day's court ruling.

(Photo: AP Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.