Trump's name removed from Kennedy Center facade after court ruling declares renaming unlawful
Workers at Washington's Kennedy Center removed President Donald Trump's name from the marble facade on Saturday, complying with a federal judge's ruling that the renaming was illegal. The removal ended a months-long battle over the future of the premier arts venue.
A months-long dispute
After returning to the presidency in January 2025, Trump dismissed the center's leadership and installed a new board that made him chairman. In December, the board voted to rename the institution "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" and added his name to the facade the next day. The move sparked protests from artists and cultural figures, many of whom cancelled appearances or resigned from advisory roles.
- Trump-appointed board votes to add his name to the Kennedy Center; workers install it the next day.
- Federal judge rules renaming unlawful; orders removal within two weeks, blocks two-year closure.
- Deadline passes; scaffolding erected, crowd gathers, and Kennedy Center requests 12-hour extension due to storms.
- Workers remove Trump's name behind tarps; executive director confirms completion.
Court rules renaming unlawful
In late May, US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that Trump's unilateral renaming violated federal law because only Congress has authority to change the name of the federally established center. He ordered the name removed from the building, website, and materials within two weeks, and separately halted a plan to close the venue for a two-year renovation starting July 4.
The public interest is rarely served by the continuation of unlawful government action.
Last-minute delays and a deadline scramble
The board and the Department of Justice asked Cooper to suspend his order. He refused on Friday, upholding the midnight deadline. Shortly before it expired, Kennedy Center executive director Matt Floca requested a 12-hour extension, citing thunderstorms.
Work was delayed by thunderstorms posing safety risks to workers, and would likely be finished in the early morning hours.
On Friday afternoon, scaffolding was erected, shielded by tarps. A crowd gathered outside, cheering and chanting "Take it down!" The spectacle was livestreamed on YouTube, drawing thousands of online viewers. Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, who had sued to force the removal, was seen in the crowd.
Removal completed behind tarps
Workers removed the letters overnight behind the protective tarps. By midday Saturday, Floca confirmed the job was finished, though the tarps remained, preventing the public from verifying the result. Trump's name had already been stripped from the center's website earlier that week.
Appeals and the renovation fight continue
The Trump administration and the Kennedy Center board have appealed Cooper's ruling to a federal appeals court. The judge's separate injunction blocking the planned July renovation closure also remains in place. For now, the Kennedy Center's facade once again reads only "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts."
