Trump suffers twin court setbacks as judges clap back at Kennedy center renaming and IRS deal

TOI Correspondent from Washington: US President Donald Trump suffered a pair of legal setbacks on Friday, adding to a growing list of court rulings that have frustrated his efforts to reshape federal institutions and advance his MAGA agenda even as he is stuck in a diplomatic dead-end over Iran.

In Washington, US District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered that Trump's name be removed from the facade, branding and official materials of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts within two weeks. The judge also blocked plans to close the iconic institution for a two-year renovation project beginning this summer, ruling that Congress alone has the authority to do so. The ruling was an embarrassing rebuke to Trump's effort to force a personal imprint on a storied Washington landmark.

Hours later in Miami, US District Judge Kathleen Williams reopened Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service despite the president having voluntarily withdrawn the case after reaching a sketchy settlement with the Justice Department, saying she wanted to investigate "grievous allegations" that the agreement was "premised on deception" and potentially constituted a fraud on the court.

The case arose from the leak of Trump's tax records by a former IRS contractor. It was settled earlier this month through an unusual agreement establishing a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund for MAGA faithful claiming they had been targeted by politically motivated government actions. The settlement drew criticism from legal experts who questioned both its legality and the manner in which it was negotiated.

Trump reacted furiously on Truth Social, denouncing the judges and reviving a familiar complaint that adverse rulings are being issued by what he calls "Obama judges." The president has repeatedly accused federal courts of political bias whenever judges block administration actions, ranging from immigration measures and executive orders to personnel decisions and spending freezes.

The latest defeats come after a series of judicial and diplomatic setbacks, including on the China and Iran fronts. Federal courts have blocked or narrowed several administration initiatives, including aspects of immigration enforcement, federal workforce restructuring, funding reallocations and executive actions challenged by states and advocacy groups. While the administration has prevailed in some appeals, judges have repeatedly forced revisions or delays to key policies.

For Trump and his supporters, the rulings reinforce a long-standing narrative that an unelected judiciary is obstructing the president's mandate. For critics, they are evidence that courts remain one of the few institutional checks on an administration that often pushes the boundaries of executive power. Either way, Friday served as another reminder that even a president who dominates Washington's political conversation cannot always dominate its courtrooms.

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