The President of the United States, Donald Trump, launched a harsh offensive against federal judge Christopher Cooper after he ordered the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center and blocked the closure of the venue for structural remodeling.
The case points to one of the most symbolic cultural spaces in Washington D.C.: the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, home to concerts, theater, opera, ballet, and artistic ceremonies in the U.S. capital.
According to press reports, Cooper ruled that Trump’s name was illegally incorporated into the building, considering that the center’s board exceeded its powers and that only Congress can officially change the venue’s name.
The judge also stopped the planned closure of the center, which the Trump administration was pushing to carry out major renovation works. The closure was associated with a project that, according to the president, sought to repair structural faults and completely modernize the building.
In an extensive message published on Truth Social, Trump stated that the judicial decision paralyzes a “magnificent” structural and aesthetic reconstruction of the venue. According to the president, materials such as marble, steel, furniture, heating, and air conditioning systems had already been ordered or were about to be ordered.
Trump maintained that the building was in poor condition, with climate control systems over six decades old, deteriorated pipes, marble in bad shape, and structural problems that, in his view, made it necessary to close the venue to carry out high-risk work.
“It is not possible to have a major and very dangerous construction project, including the replacement of structural beams, with hearings innocently entering to see a project,” the president stated.
The President directly accused Cooper, appointed during the Barack Obama administration, of acting out of political animosity and having a conflict of interest.
In his post, Trump targeted the judge’s wife, Amy Jeffress, whom he linked to figures and causes associated with the Democratic Party, the Obama government, investigations about January 6, and legal cases related to the president himself.
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Trump claimed that Jeffress would be “connected to the left-wing system” and argued that, for that reason, it would be “impossible” to receive fair treatment before Cooper.
The president also questioned the judge’s order to remove his name from the building, despite the fact that, according to Trump, the decision to incorporate it had been adopted by a board made up of “distinguished people” who voted unanimously.
Trump assured that he did not personally push for the name change and that it was the board that considered that this could benefit an institution that, according to him, faced low activity levels and deterioration after the pandemic.
The dispute has a greater political dimension because the Kennedy Center is not only an artistic venue but a federal institution located in the symbolic core of Washington.
The center was established by law and named in honor of former president John F. Kennedy, so its eventual name change involves legal and political powers that, according to the ruling, exceed the venue’s board.
Trump stated that, after the ruling, the renovation will probably not take place and warned that the building could remain open even though, according to him, it would not be in adequate safety conditions.
Towards the end of his message, the president expanded the criticism and linked the case with other judicial rulings that have affected his administration, including disputes over tariffs and birthright citizenship.
“The judicial system is rigged,” Trump said, insisting that there is political and judicial persecution against him.
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