Court Orders Trump's Name Stripped From Kennedy Center Facade

Workers in hard hats and high-visibility vests spent the early hours of Saturday prying President Donald Trump's name from the marble facade of the Kennedy Center in Washington. They erected scaffolding the day before, draped heavy tarps over the structure to shield the operation from view, and began the removal shortly after 3 a.m., well past the court-ordered midnight deadline.

The action followed rulings by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper and a federal appeals panel that rejected last-minute requests from the Trump administration to pause the process. Cooper had ruled last month that Congress alone holds the authority to name the venue, which was established as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The judge described the addition of Trump's name by the center's board last December as unauthorized.

Thunderstorms delayed the work on Friday, prompting the Kennedy Center to seek a brief extension until noon on Saturday. The request was denied, yet crews completed the task before dawn. Onlookers gathered on the plaza below, some chanting phrases critical of the president while others voiced frustration at the proceedings. The tarps remained in place through much of the night, limiting clear views of the final result.

Trump's board of trustees had voted to include his name on the building after he took office, creating the full title "Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The move drew immediate legal challenges from Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who sits as an ex officio board member. Cooper's opinion emphasized that the original congressional designation left no room for additional formal names.

The administration has filed appeals, arguing that the board possessed sufficient authority to update the signage. Court filings noted safety concerns from the weather as the primary reason for missing the initial deadline. Similar legal disputes have arisen over other federal properties during the Trump presidency, often centered on questions of executive versus legislative power.

By early Saturday morning the scaffolding stood empty except for the remaining coverings, and the workers departed the site. The episode unfolded against a backdrop of ongoing litigation that continues to test the limits of presidential influence over longstanding national institutions.