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The Kennedy Center board voted Thursday to add an inscription that reads, \u201cRestored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump,\u201d below the venue\u2019s main sign, the New York Times<\/a> reported, a possible test of a judge\u2019s order to remove Trump\u2019s name from the facade. <\/p>\n The Kennedy Center tarps have stood for two months. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reservedKey Facts<\/p>\n The Kennedy Center\u2019s board voted to add the Trump inscription at a meeting Thursday, where it also decided to close for renovations, the Times reported, citing people familiar with the meeting\u2019s outcome.<\/p>\n The board, which Trump filled with allies, had voted last year to add his name to the venue, but a judge ordered the center to remove it because it violated the law that designates the ability to name the center to Congress.<\/p>\n The board\u2019s resolution reportedly says the inscription is to honor Trump for bringing the center back from the \u201cfrom the brink of disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who filed the original lawsuit challenging the addition of Trump\u2019s name to the Kennedy Center, said<\/a> in a statement Thursday the move is a \u201ctransparent effort to circumvent the Court\u2019s ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed,\u201d vowing to \u201ccontinue to fight for this treasured national monument.\u201d<\/p>\n Also at Thursday\u2019s meeting, the board voted to proceed with a plan to close the main building for renovations, while keeping a smaller building, called the Reach, open for limited programming and as a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy.<\/p>\n Trump has previously pushed for the center to close for renovations, calling<\/a> it \u201ctired, broken, and dilapidated,\u201d but a judge blocked the center\u2019s decision to close earlier this year, saying it was made based on a \u201cone-sided presentation of information\u201d without considering its statutory obligations. <\/p>\n What To Watch For<\/p>\n A federal judge ruled<\/a> in July the Kennedy Center\u2019s board of trustees must file a status report informing the court about the center\u2019s plans for future construction and operations, as well as the status of the tarp and scaffolding that still cover the building\u2019s facade, either by Aug. 20 or within five days of the board\u2019s August meeting. That would place the deadline at Aug. 18, five days after the board meets. <\/p>\n What Do We Know About The Kennedy Center\u2019s Construction Plans?<\/p>\n The Kennedy Center\u2019s grand foyer would get \u201cnew furniture throughout,\u201d as well as new marble flooring and drapes, Axios<\/a> reported, citing a development plan. The plans would allocate $48 million for restoring various theaters, and theaters and lounges would get new flooring and lighting. The box office will be relocated and a new coffee shop will be constructed, as well as new restrooms for VIP guests, according to Axios. <\/p>\n How Long Have Tarps Stood Outside The Kennedy Center?<\/p>\n Two months exactly. The tarps went up in the early hours of June 13 as construction workers moved to comply with a court deadline to remove Trump\u2019s name from the venue. Before removing the letters, workers constructed scaffolding and tarps that block the majority of the sign from public view. The tarps have garnered much scrutiny from opponents of Trump\u2019s takeover of the Kennedy Center. In court filings<\/a>, Beatty has suggested the venue kept up the tarps to \u201cmassage broken egos.\u201d Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., called the tarps a \u201cliteral coverup\u201d in a post<\/a> on X, saying it will be a \u201cbeautiful day when the name of the Kennedy Center is restored to visibility.\u201d <\/p>\n key background<\/p>\n U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled<\/a> in May the Kennedy Center must remove Trump\u2019s name from physical and digital branding, saying the addition of his name violated a law that designates the ability to name the venue to Congress. The law \u201cmakes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy,\u201d Cooper wrote in his ruling. Cooper also temporarily blocked the center from closing for two years for renovations, saying the board made the decision to close based on a \u201cone-sided presentation of information\u201d without properly considering its \u201cfull range of its statutory obligations.\u201d The Kennedy Center\u2019s board, which was largely hand-picked by Trump, elected Trump as chairman last year and voted to add his name to the center after he vowed to combat what he considered to be \u201cwoke\u201d programming. The Kennedy Center is fighting Cooper\u2019s ruling in a federal appeals court. <\/p>\n further reading<\/p>\n Kennedy Center Given More Time To Explain Why Tarps Remain<\/a> (Forbes)<\/p>\n