A US federal court has overturned the decision to rename the Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump and ordered that his name be removed from the institution within 14 days. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on Friday that changing the name without congressional approval was unlawful. The court also suspended the Trump administration’s plan to temporarily close the center for renovation work. The order requires Trump’s name to be removed from the building’s exterior, digital platforms, signage, and all official documents.

The ruling restores the institution’s original name, the “John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” which was established in 1971 in memory of the late President John F. Kennedy. Judge Cooper noted that the founding law of the Kennedy Center explicitly states that only Congress has the authority to alter its name.

The renaming had been part of the Trump administration’s broader rebranding initiative for government and cultural institutions in Washington, which had drawn criticism from parts of the arts community and led to event cancellations and reduced ticket sales.