A US judge questioned plans to add President Trump's name to the Kennedy Center. Judge Christopher Cooper raised the issue during a nearly two-hour hearing this week.

Cooper interrupted Trump administration lawyer Bradley Mayers seconds after he began speaking. He asked why the center needed to start the work by September 8 2026.

Cooper said Trump's name should stay off the building for now. The Trump administration said the timeline followed a vote by the center's board.

It argued that restoring the name could help attract donations for renovations. The center is facing structural and financial problems.

The Kennedy Center is a performing arts center in Washington DC. A court had earlier forced the removal of Trump's name from the building's title.

The center then planned to add an inscription honoring him instead. Its board later voted to restore the name.

Justice Department lawyers said in a court filing this week that leaving Trump's name off could lead to the building's demolition. That warning relates to the same dispute over removing his name.