Judge blocks Trumps Kennedy Center renaming, halts 250M renovation

A federal judge in Washington has ordered the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center and blocked his planned two-year renovation of the institution, triggering an angry response from the former U.S. president. The ruling, issued late Thursday, revokes the Kennedy Center board’s decision to rebrand the performing arts venue as the "Kennedy-Trump Center" and halts all construction tied to the $250 million overhaul, which would have closed the facility until 2028. Trump, who had pledged to fund the project through private donations, lashed out on Truth Social, calling the decision "a partisan witch hunt" and announcing he would "walk away" from his role in the center’s management .

The court found the board’s vote to add Trump’s name violated federal law, citing a 1958 statute that restricts modifications to the Kennedy Center’s official designation without congressional approval. Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presided over the case, wrote in her 42-page opinion that the board "exceeded its authority" by attempting to "rewrite history" through the renaming. The ruling also freezes $18 million in federal funds earmarked for the renovation, pending further review .

Trump’s legal team has vowed to appeal, arguing the decision infringes on the board’s autonomy. Meanwhile, the Kennedy Center’s leadership, which had defended the renaming as a "tribute to bipartisan arts patronage," has not commented on whether it will seek congressional approval to revive the plan. The controversy follows a pattern of Trump’s attempts to affix his name to public institutions, including a 2025 dispute over the renaming of a Miami courthouse that was similarly blocked by courts .

Separately, a U.S. congressional committee questioned former Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday about her role in the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Bondi, who served as Florida’s attorney general before joining Trump’s cabinet in 2025, faced allegations of suppressing documents related to Epstein’s plea deal in 2008. The hearing, part of a broader investigation into government transparency, focused on whether Bondi coordinated with Trump’s legal team to shield the president from scrutiny over his ties to Epstein. Bondi denied any wrongdoing, calling the accusations "politically motivated" .

In a third legal setback for Trump, federal prosecutors demanded additional details about a $50 million "anti-instrumentalization fund" created as part of his 2025 plea deal with the Justice Department. The fund, intended to compensate allies targeted by investigations, is under scrutiny for potential misuse of charitable donations. Trump’s legal team has until June 10 to provide records of the fund’s disbursements, which prosecutors suspect may have been used to pay personal legal fees . The developments come as Trump prepares for a potential 2028 presidential run, with legal challenges mounting on multiple fronts.