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Workers in Washington, D.C., began removing President Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, following a court ruling that deemed the renaming unlawful. The venue’s Executive Director, Matt Floca, stated that all physical signage bearing Trump’s name had been taken down from the building and grounds. During the work, the exterior sign remained covered with a white tarp, and sounds of hammering and scraping echoed as workers removed Trump’s name. Spectators, including early morning joggers, watched briefly as the process unfolded.
The removal came shortly after a judge rejected a last-minute attempt by the Kennedy Center’s board to halt the name removal, a move seen as a setback for Trump’s efforts to embed his name and image into national institutions since re-entering the White House — a break from traditional American political decorum. An eager crowd had gathered outside the center the night before, cheering as scaffolding was erected for the sign removal, while thousands more followed the developments via livestream.
The process was delayed by thunderstorms, which posed safety concerns, but was expected to be completed early Saturday morning. Last month, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered Trump’s name off the building, ruling that the Kennedy Center had been unlawfully renamed and only Congress has authority to change its name. He set a 14-day deadline for the removal of Trump’s name from the building’s marble facade and related materials. Earlier this week, the Kennedy Center also removed Trump’s name from its website.
On Friday, Cooper refused a request from the center to delay his ruling, citing the public interest in stopping unlawful government actions. The judge also issued a temporary order halting Trump’s bid to delay renovations of the Kennedy Center, scheduled to begin this July. Trump responded angrily, saying he was surrendering control of the venue, which he had designated himself chairman of during his second term last year. His allies had voted to rename the venue “Trump Kennedy Center” in December, adding his full name in large capital letters above Kennedy’s, prompting some artists to cancel scheduled performances.
Additionally, other Trump-related renamings are underway, including the US Institute of Peace, which now bears his name, and his image appears on banners outside the Department of Justice and Agriculture. The Trump administration is also pushing to feature his likeness on a $250 bill minted to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary of independence from Britain.
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