Workers removed U.S. President Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday after a federal judge ruled that the venue’s renaming was unlawful.
The Kennedy Centre said all physical signage bearing Trump’s name was being removed from the building and its grounds in compliance with a court order. In a legal filing, Executive Director Matt Floca said the centre had “removed all physical signage on the Kennedy Centre building and grounds” containing Trump’s name.
A white tarp covered the exterior sign as workers dismantled the lettering, while construction noise echoed from beneath the covering. Passersby and joggers stopped to watch the work, which followed days of public attention and online livestreams tracking the removal effort.
Floca said in a statement said the work was delayed by thunderstorms that raised safety concerns for workers.
The removal followed a ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who ordered last month that Trump’s name be taken off the landmark arts venue.
Cooper had said in a May ruling that the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was unlawful and that only Congress had the authority to change the institution’s name.
The judge gave the administration 14 days to remove Trump’s name from the building’s marble facade and related materials.
Cooper has also temporarily blocked a separate Trump administration plan to close the centre for two years of renovations beginning in July.
On Friday, Cooper rejected a last-minute appeal by the centre’s board seeking to delay the order and also denied a request for a 12-hour extension, saying the public interest was not served by the continuation of unlawful government action.
The centre had already removed Trump’s name from its website earlier in the week. The dispute stems from actions taken after Trump returned to office and assumed control of the institution by appointing himself chairman. The venue’s board, composed largely of Trump allies, voted in December to rename the facility the “Trump Kennedy Centere,” leading to the installation of the president’s name above that of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
This led to criticism from artists and cultural figures, with several performers cancelling planned appearances at the venue.
Trump, angered by the court rulings, later said he was relinquishing control of the institution. The Kennedy Centre dispute is part of a broader effort by the administration to place Trump’s name and image on public institutions and government properties, a departure from long-standing U.S. political norms.