# Trump demands his name on Kennedy Center

> The president is withholding $257 million in renovation funds unless the performing arts center bears his name.
- Title: Trump demands his name on Kennedy Center · ABC7 New York
- Summary: The president is withholding $257 million in renovation funds unless the performing arts center bears his name. Trump is using congressionally approved…
- Keywords: donald trump, kennedy center, kennedy family, kerry kennedy, maria shriver, renovation funding, federal court, christopher cooper, joyce beatty, name dispute, hostage taking, news
- Source: ABC7 New York — https://abc7ny.com/story/kennedy-niece-says-trump-holding-center-hostage-amid-battle-name/19840010
- Published: 2026-09-16T17:29:46+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: donald trump, kennedy center, kennedy family, kerry kennedy, maria shriver, renovation funding, federal court, christopher cooper, joyce beatty, name dispute, hostage taking, news
## Trump demands name on Kennedy Center
President Trump said Tuesday he won't release $257 million in congressionally approved renovation funds unless the Kennedy Center also bears his name.
## Court blocks Trump tribute attempt
Federal Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Tuesday that the Kennedy Center board cannot add Trump's name to the building without congressional approval, saying the board is engaging in linguistic gymnastics.

> Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress's blessing.
## Board votes to close center immediately
About an hour after the court ruling, Trump-appointed board members voted to close the Kennedy Center immediately, citing safety concerns from fallen plaster in the grand foyer.
## Trump ties renovations to his name
Trump posted that renovations cannot begin until the D.C. Circuit rules on the board's approved name, and will not happen if the ruling goes against him.

> If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place.
## Kennedy niece calls it hostage taking
Kerry Kennedy, niece of JFK and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, accused Trump of holding the center hostage and said he's withholding $250 million solely because he wants his name on the building.

> This is hostage taking by the president of the United States.
## Maria Shriver blasts Trump as narcissistic
Another Kennedy niece, Maria Shriver, called Trump small-minded and narcissistic, saying great men devoted to public service don't act this way.

> It seems that this man will not rest until his name is permanently connected to the name of a great president.
## Democrat seeks emergency court hearing
Ohio Representative Joyce Beatty's lawyers asked a federal judge Wednesday for an emergency hearing, arguing the closure violates a previous court order that remains in effect.
## Kennedy appeals directly to Trump
Kerry Kennedy made a direct plea to Trump on CNN, asking him to focus on his job and leave the Kennedy Center alone as a monument to a slain president.

> Leave the Kennedy center alone. Allow us to move forward with this great art center, this monument to a slain president, and leave it alone.
## Key takeaway

Trump is using congressionally approved funding as leverage to add his name to a building dedicated to JFK, prompting legal challenges and criticism from Kennedy family members.