Workers Begin Removing Trump's Name from Kennedy Center Facade After Court-Ordered Deadline
Workers started stripping President Trump's name from the exterior of the Kennedy Center in Washington overnight Friday into Saturday, hours past a court-ordered deadline of 11:59 p.m. Friday. The delay was attributed to nearby thunderstorms, and the Kennedy Center's board sought a 12-hour extension, which U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper had already denied after rejecting the board's last-minute attempt to halt the order. The removal marks a significant legal rebuke of the Trump administration's effort to rename the historic performing arts venue, with a court ruling that only Congress has the authority to change the Kennedy Center's name.
Crews erected scaffolding outside the Kennedy Center on Friday evening as dozens of onlookers and protesters gathered to watch, with one group holding a sign reading 'You're No JFK.' Workers covered the scaffolding with tarps before beginning to remove the lettering, and photos showed the facade mid-removal, with the partial word 'TRUMP' still visible beneath the tarps. Crews departed the site around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, though tarps remained in place, leaving it unclear whether all lettering had been fully removed. The Kennedy Center's board had sought an extension citing thunderstorm-related safety concerns, but Judge Cooper rejected both the extension request and a last-minute appeal, finding the board had not demonstrated its appeal was likely to succeed. Trump had moved swiftly after returning to office to reshape the institution — removing its leadership, installing a new board, assuming the chairmanship himself, and adding his name to the building in December 2025, so it read 'Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.' Cooper's ruling also barred the administration from closing the venue for a planned two-year renovation, which the Kennedy Center argued was urgently needed to address potentially life-threatening structural issues including rusted beams and deteriorating parking garage ceilings.
What's missing
It remains unclear whether the removal was fully completed overnight, as tarps were still covering the facade when crews left around 3:30 a.m. The current status of the Kennedy Center's appeal and any further legal proceedings are not addressed in either source.
How coverage differed
The Hill focused primarily on the procedural and legal dimensions of the removal, emphasizing the court ruling and the DOJ's extension request. The Washington Examiner provided more detail on the Kennedy Center's structural concerns and renovation arguments, lending somewhat more weight to the administration's justifications for the renaming and closure plans.
What different sources said
- Washington ExaminerRight
Kennedy Center workers start to remove Trump’s name after overnight deadline
- The HillCenter
Crews begin stripping Trump name from Kennedy Center after court ruling, weather delay
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