Trump’s name comes off Kennedy Center as schedule thins
Workers began removing Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center after a court order, while the venue faces uncertainty over its upcoming calendar.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Workers began taking President Donald Trump’s name off the Kennedy Center’s exterior early Saturday after a court order, the Associated Press reported. The move matters because it rolls back one of Trump’s most visible efforts to stamp his second-term authority on a major Washington cultural institution.
The work started after legal wrangling and storm delays, according to the AP. Crews covered the facade with a tarp, making it unclear at daybreak whether every letter had been removed.
The Kennedy Center had missed an earlier court-ordered deadline by several hours, the AP reported. Shortly after midnight, the venue asked a judge for more time, citing thunderstorms that had slowed the removal, and the court granted an extension until noon EDT Saturday.
A court fight over the building
The name removal follows a May court ruling that also stopped a planned two-year shutdown for renovations that had been scheduled to begin next month, according to the AP. The Kennedy Center had sought a pause on the order, but its Friday appeal did not succeed.
In its appeal, the Kennedy Center’s leadership argued that the lower court was blocking repairs it described as urgent, including work involving rusted beams and parking garage ceilings, the AP reported. The institution also said removing the signage now could waste money if it later wins on appeal and Trump’s name is restored.
The dispute is part of a broader fight over control of the arts venue. The Kennedy Center, which began construction in 1964 and was dedicated to President John F. Kennedy, has long been one of Washington’s less overtly partisan institutions, the AP noted.
Trump rarely made the center a focus during the 2024 campaign, according to the AP. After returning to office in January 2025, he moved to remove its leadership and install a board of trustees that made him chairman; his name was then added to the building.
Uncertain months ahead
The center still has several events on its near-term calendar, including “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Bluey’s Big Play,” according to the AP. Comedian Bill Maher is scheduled to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a June 28 ceremony.
Beyond those events, the AP reported, the schedule is sparse. The venue has reduced staff substantially, leaving open questions about how quickly it can add a fuller slate of performances.
Trump, angered by the order requiring his name to be removed, has said he would hand the Kennedy Center over to Congress, according to the AP. He has also suggested the venue could close because of public safety concerns.
The Kennedy Center episode comes as Trump pursues other major changes to prominent spaces in and around Washington, the AP reported. Those include replacing the White House East Wing with a ballroom, remodeling the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, planning renovations at a golf course in East Potomac Park and moving ahead with a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
At the same time crews were working at the Kennedy Center, the White House South Lawn had been converted into a venue for a UFC event tied to the 250th anniversary of American independence and scheduled around Trump’s birthday, according to the AP.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.