In December, the board decided to rename the institution and new lettering bearing Trump’s full name was affixed to the centre’s front portico the next day.
The changes, including the re-naming, were followed by cancellations by artists booked at the venue and falling ticket sales.
In February, Trump announced a two-year closure of the venue for extensive renovations that begin 4 July 2026 – “in honour of the 250th Anniversary of our Country”.
Board member Joyce Beatty, an Ohio congresswoman and Democrat, and other ex-trustees challenged Trump’s changes, alleging in a lawsuit that they were stripped of their right to vote on board matters.
The plaintiffs later amended the lawsuit to also challenge plans to close the venue for repairs.
“Today’s ruling rightly affirms that this administration’s efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law,” Beatty said in a statement to the BBC.
“The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred memorial for his own vanity. I am proud to have fought for the rule of law and to protect this sacred institution.”
In a statement to the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, on Friday, spokesperson for the Kennedy Center Roma Daravi said: “We are confident that on appeal the court will uphold the Board’s will to recognize President Trump’s historic contributions to our nation’s cultural center,
Daravi said they will also review the judge’s decision on the renovations closure.
“[T]hough the reality remains – the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi said.
“With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”