Judge: Take Trump's Name Off Kennedy Center

A federal judge on Friday ruled that President Trump had no legal right to add his name to the Kennedy Center in Washington and ordered it removed, reports CNN. US District Judge Christopher Cooper wrote that "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it." In his 94-page opinion, the Barack Obama appointee also blocked the center's board from closing the venue for long-term renovations, calling its March vote to do so "ill-informed." A spokesperson said the center would appeal, per the AP.

Cooper ordered the center to strip Trump's name from all physical signs within two weeks and scrub references like "Trump Kennedy Center" from its website. He permanently barred the institution from using any physical or digital signage that implies it's named for anyone other than Kennedy. On the renovation front, Cooper said the center can still upgrade its aging building but faulted the board for not fully weighing its legal obligation to keep programming going. "The trustees might have assessed the propriety of closure in a number of prudent ways," he wrote. "This was not one."