A federal judge in Washington DC issued a ruling that the Kennedy Center – a national memorial to President John F. Kennedy – cannot be renamed without Congress’s approval, forcing the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the building’s front signage, its website, and other materials.
The order followed a month‑long legal dispute. The Trump administration, which had added the former president’s name to the venue’s facade during a rebranding push, sought to block the judge’s removal mandate, but a judge denied that request on Friday. Attorneys for the center and the administration argued that the new name could cause confusion should the ruling be overturned.
Workers began the removal process late Friday. A crew erected scaffolding around the front of the building and, after a brief weather delay, started stripping the lettering. The removal was accompanied by public protests – a small rally organized by Hands Off the Arts gathered outside the Kennedy Center, chanting “take it down!” as the workers worked. The crowd celebrated when an appeals court denied the administration’s attempt to halt the removal.
The decision comes after the center’s board, which Trump had reorganized in 2025 to include a Trump‑appointed trustee, had installed the new signage in a ceremony held in March. The center’s status as a federal memorial under the National Foundation for the Performing Arts makes congressional approval a required step for any name change.
During the early hours of Saturday, workers hung long white and blue plastic sheeting over the structure, obscuring the view of the removed name and leaving the sign partially visible through the sheets. “The removal was successful,” a centre spokesperson said, noting that the Kennedy Center is still opening for visitors while it awaits further court proceedings on the issue.
For more details on the judge’s ruling and the surrounding controversy, read the original BBC article at this link.
Image: AFP via Getty Images – Protesters gather in front of the Kennedy Center building.
