Stars have canceled events at the John F. Kennedy Center after Trump’s attempt to rename it, including Issa Rae and “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz.

Donald Trump-picked Kennedy Center board votes to reinstall his name on building, testing judge’s order

Stars have canceled events at the John F. Kennedy Center after Trump’s attempt to rename it, including Issa Rae and “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz.

Joey Nolfi

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul’s Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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August 13, 2026 4:25 p.m. ET

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with Donald Trump’s name on it. Credit:

Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty

- A Donald Trump-picked board voted to reinstall his name on the exterior of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

- Trump has attempted to rename the legally protected Washington, D.C. building, though a federal judge ordered that his name be removed.

- Numerous stars have canceled events at the center, including Issa Rae, *Wicked* composer Stephen Schwartz, and Oscar nominee Philip Glass.

A Donald Trump-picked John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts board voted to reinstall the president’s name on the exterior of the legally protected building — which, despite a judge’s order earlier this year, Trump has attempted to rename after himself.

The board additionally voted Thursday to move forward with a planned two-year shutdown of the venue, which the Associated Press reported from information provided by Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty.

“This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the Court’s ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed,” Beatty, a Democrat, told the AP in a statement. “I will continue to fight for this treasured national monument.”

* *has reached out to representatives for the Kennedy Center for comment and more information on the reported vote.

Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty

Trump, one of the oldest presidents in United States history at 80, has long defied a protection over the commemorative center’s name, which honors the late President John F. Kennedy after his 1963 assassination. Per documents reviewed by EW at the time, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May that officials had to halt plans to close the venue and remove Trump’s name from the building, after a preliminary injunction from Beatty.

The initial decision came on May 29, which would have been JFK’s 109th birthday.

When reached for comment on the ruling in May, Roma Daravi, president of public relations for the Kennedy Center, told EW via email that “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.” Judge Cooper’s office declined to comment on the ruling at the time.

'View' cohost Ana Navarro urges Gloria Gaynor to reject Donald Trump's Kennedy Center honor

Oscar nominee cancels Kennedy Center symphony over 'direct conflict' with Trump leadership

Numerous celebrities and political figures have condemned Trump’s attempts to overtake the Kennedy Center in recent months, amid Beatty’s lawsuit against the venue’s board of trustees over a law prohibiting anyone from turning the Kennedy Center, which opened in 1971, into a memorial for any figure other than JFK.

Trump’s attempt to rename the building drew widespread criticism from Kennedy family members, including JFK’s niece Maria Shriver, JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg, and Kerry Kennedy, JFK’s niece, who expressed her intention to help remove Trump’s name.

Shriver lashed out at the move on Instagram, writing, “The Kennedy Center was named after my uncle, President John F. Kennedy. It was named in his honor. He was a man who was interested in the arts, interested in culture, interested in education, language, history.”

Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty

She continued, “He brought the arts into the White House, and he and my Aunt Jackie amplified the arts, celebrated the arts, stood up for the arts and artists. It is beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy. It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not.”

After Trump’s second presidential inauguration in 2025, the political figure’s leadership at the venue sparked intense backlash from artists, many of whom canceled planned presentations, performances, and more at the Kennedy Center.

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*Insecure* creator-star Issa Rae, *Wicked* composer Stephen Schwartz, musician Chuck Redd, and Oscar nominee Philip Glass all pushed back against Trump’s initiatives by canceling and/or speaking out about the president’s action.

In August 2025, *The View*’s Ana Navarro also urged singer Gloria Gaynor to reject her 2025 Kennedy Center honor outright.

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