U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper issued a ruling on Tuesday preventing the Kennedy Center’s board from moving forward with plans to rename the campus or inscribe President Trump’s name on the building. The court determined that the board lacks the authority to make these changes independently, stating that any such memorialization requires the explicit approval of Congress.

This ruling serves as a follow-up to an earlier order by Judge Cooper that had already blocked similar efforts. The current conflict stems from a push by the Kennedy Center’s board—which includes several Trump allies—to recognize the former president, potentially in conjunction with upcoming building renovations. While the board has argued that their latest proposal to recognize the president does not violate existing legal constraints, Judge Cooper rejected this interpretation. He emphasized that the board cannot install memorials for the president or any other entity without legislative authorization.

Sources differ slightly on the scope of the board's intent. Axios reports that the board is currently weighing a shutdown of the building for renovations, during which they intend to ensure Trump is "appropriately recognized." The Washington Examiner frames the ruling as a total bar on the board's ability to install any form of memorialization, whereas The Hill focuses specifically on the board's attempt to rename the campus and re-inscribe the name, noting that the board cannot proceed without "Congress’s blessing."