A US judge has blocked the Kennedy Center board from adding President Donald Trump’s name back to the performing arts building, ruling that it requires approval from Congress.

In May, the same judge ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the building and blocked its temporary closure for the president’s proposed renovations.

The board, which is chaired by the president and comprises his cabinet members and allies, approved a resolution in August that called for the inscription “Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump” to be added to the building.

Trump announced the addition of his name to the institution, among other rebranding measures across the nation’s capital, last year.

In February 2025, he replaced several trustees on the centre’s board and appointed himself as a trustee before being voted in as the arts centre’s chairman.