Construction crew strips Trump’s name from Kennedy Center after president loses another legal battle

Kennedy Center Removes Trump Name After Federal Court Orders Compliance

Construction crews began removing the letters spelling President Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts early on June 13. Workers operated behind a tarp covering scaffolding that had been erected the previous day. The removal followed a series of court rulings that rejected the administration’s requests to delay or block the action.

On May 29, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the center could not bear any formal name other than the one established by Congress. The judge cited the original legislation creating the venue as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy and stated that only Congress holds authority to alter that designation. Cooper ordered that the name change be reversed by midnight on June 12.

The Trump administration, through the Kennedy Center board, sought to pause the order while an appeal proceeded. Cooper denied that request on June 12, finding that the government had not shown a likelihood of success on appeal or irreparable harm from proceeding with removal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit later denied an emergency appeal filed hours before the deadline. A separate request for a 12-hour extension citing weather conditions was also rejected.

Work on the facade began after 3 a.m. on June 13. Scaffolding had been assembled earlier, and a tarp was installed around 1 a.m. to shield the work area. The center had already updated its website, email signatures, letterhead, and other materials to reflect the original name, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in accordance with an internal directive issued June 5.

In a June 12 filing, attorneys for the Kennedy Center board argued that removal of the name would affect fundraising. The filing stated that the board’s bylaws conditioned donations on the name remaining unchanged and that reversal would require returning or terminating hundreds of millions of dollars in committed funds. The board, whose members were appointed during the Trump administration, had previously approved adding the president’s name to the building.

Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex officio trustee of the center, filed suit last year challenging the addition of Trump’s name. Beatty’s complaint also addressed plans to close the venue for renovations beginning July 4. The lawsuit sought to prevent both the name change and the closure.

The Kennedy Center board had voted to add Trump’s name to the exterior. Court records show the board acted under its authority to manage operations and naming elements at the facility. The original 1971 legislation establishing the center as a memorial specified the name but left day-to-day governance to the board subject to congressional oversight.

Trump posted on Truth Social after the May 29 ruling that he would no longer pursue renovations at the center. He stated that keeping the institution open during construction would be impossible and indicated he would work with Congress on transferring responsibility for the facility. The post described the center as a “losing Institution” that he had sought to improve.

The removal occurred amid separate litigation and administrative actions involving federal properties in Washington. These include ongoing work at the White House complex, modifications to the Rose Garden area, and installation of additional exterior elements at the White House. Plans for a new entertainment complex at the Kennedy Center site were referenced in earlier statements from the administration but have not advanced following the court decisions.

Crowds gathered near the Kennedy Center during the afternoon of June 12 and again overnight. Some observers chanted phrases directed at the workers. News outlets broadcast live footage of the scaffolding and tarp installation. The center remained open to the public during the exterior work.

The board’s June 12 filing also noted that the name addition had been incorporated into donor agreements. Lawyers argued that altering the facade would trigger refund obligations under those agreements. The court did not address the financial claims in its order denying the stay, focusing instead on the statutory language governing the center’s name.

No further appeals were pending as of the morning of June 13. The letters spelling “Trump” were removed from the marble facade under the cover of the tarp. The center’s official name reverted to the designation established by Congress in 1971.