Maria Shriver Celebrates Court Ruling Removing Trump's Name from Kennedy Center as Birthday Gift for JFK

Maria Shriver marked what would have been her late uncle President John F. Kennedy's 109th birthday with a significant legal victory. On Friday, May 29, a federal court issued a ruling that will remove Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center and scrap renovation plans that would have shuttered the venue for two years.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, determined that the actions taken by the Kennedy Center's board of trustees violated the law. In his 94-page decision, the judge held that only Congress possesses the authority to change the institution's name. The ruling mandated that Trump's name be removed within 14 days and blocked the planned two-year closure.

Shriver, daughter of JFK's younger sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, shared her reaction on social media platform X following the decision. "An appropriate birthday present on my uncle's birthday today," she posted. "A federal judge ruled that President Trump and the Kennedy Center Board acted unlawfully in renaming the Kennedy Center. The judge held that only Congress can change the Center's name and blocked the planned two-year closure. I know they'll probably appeal and the story isn't over, but for today let's celebrate a great birthday gift."

The decision comes as multiple artists have withdrawn from Trump's scheduled "Freedom 250" concert.