Trump's Name Stripped from Kennedy Center Facade Following Court Order
Workers prep scaffolding alongside the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center as they begin to remove lettering bearing President Trump's name. (Landon Shackelford/AKSM Photography)
After a contentious legal battle, workers removed President Donald Trump's name from the nation's premier performing arts center, restoring its original designation as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy.
Article by Maddie Tyler, Chief Senior News Editor
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump’s name has been officially excised from the facade of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., ending a months-long controversy over the rebranding of the iconic venue. Under the cover of darkness and shielded by tarpaulins, workers dismantled the massive lettering early Saturday morning. The removal complied with a federal judge's mandate, concluding a fraught legal battle that pitted the president’s handpicked board of trustees against lawmakers intent on preserving the building's historical integrity.
The saga began in December when the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees voted unanimously to rechristen the venue as "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The swift addition of Trump's name to the building’s exterior sparked immediate backlash and prompted a lawsuit from Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a Democratic ex officio member of the board. Beatty argued that the unilateral name change defied the foundational laws establishing the center.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper agreed, ruling in late May that the board’s actions were unlawful. In his extensive 94-page decision, Judge Cooper emphasized that Congress explicitly designated the venue as the sole national monument to the slain 35th president within the nation's capital. He determined that because Congress originally named the Kennedy Center, only Congress possesses the authority to alter it. Following the rejection of a last-minute emergency appeal by the Department of Justice, the center had no choice but to meet the court-ordered deadline to take the signage down.
Beyond the physical building, the Kennedy Center has actively scrubbed references to the president across all its official channels. Internal directives issued by the center's general counsel required staff to immediately remove the "Trump Kennedy Center" moniker from websites, email signatures, promotional brochures, and official voicemails. Additionally, Judge Cooper's ruling temporarily blocked a controversial $257 million revitalization project that would have shuttered the performing arts center for two years.
Despite the removal of the physical signage, the institutional tug-of-war continues. In response to the court order, the center recently announced the establishment of a new "Trump Kennedy Center Fund." According to center officials, the endowment aims to recognize the president's contributions while supporting the venue's ongoing operations and maintenance. For now, however, the building once again stands simply as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with crowds gathering over the weekend to celebrate the restoration of the original name.