Trump’s Name Removed from Kennedy Center After Judge Order
Workers began pulling down Donald Trump’s name from the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington, a day after a federal judge set a deadline to cancel the president’s addition to the venue marquee.
The judge ruled last month that the addition was unlawful, ordering the removal by Friday, June 12. A rescue team erected scaffolding on Friday, but thunderstorms delayed the work until early on Saturday, during which crews hung long plastic sheets over the structure to conceal the removal process.
The Trump administration’s last‑minute effort to pause the order was rejected, and the court allowed the removal to proceed pending further arguments.
The legal dispute began over attempts to rename the Kennedy Center, which the US government designates as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. A federal judge ruled that the venue cannot be renamed without congressional approval, also blocking any temporary closure for proposed renovations.
In February 2025 Trump replaced several trustees on the centre’s board, appointed himself as a trustee, and was later voted in as chairman, actions that intensified the debate over the centre’s identity.
On Saturday, workers hung a long sheet of plastic over the performers’ terrace and began removing the letters. Some onlookers chanted “take it down,” according to the BBC’s US partner CBS.
Workers begin removal of the sign after judge order.
The removal has sparked public demonstrations and underlines the contentious nature of the Kennedy Center’s name in Washington’s cultural landscape.
