President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration will transfer control of the Kennedy Center to Congress, after a judge ordered the removal of Trump's name from the iconic Washington venue and blocked his plans to close it for renovations.
Trump said on social media that he instructed the U.S. Commerce Department to "make all necessary arrangements with Congress to allow a full and complete transfer of this Institution" and give lawmakers responsibility over its operation, maintenance and management.
It was not immediately clear how Trump's directive could be carried out. The Kennedy Center was created by Congress in 1958 and is run by a board of trustees that the president has packed with allies in his second term.
Trump's announcement came after a judge on Friday ruled that the performing arts center, which Trump renamed the "Trump Kennedy Center," cannot be renamed without an act of Congress.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington directed the Trump administration to take down all physical signage bearing Trump’s name and to eliminate any references to a "Trump Kennedy Center" from official materials within 14 days.
