Workers began removing President Donald Trump's name from the facade of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on Friday, June 12, 2026, following a federal judge's ruling that the institution's renaming was unlawful. The board of trustees had filed a brief notice of appeal late Thursday, just before the deadline set by the judge, but the removal proceeded as scheduled.
Judge Denies Last-Minute Delay
Earlier on Friday, a judge denied a last-minute request by the Kennedy Center to extend the court-ordered deadline for deinstallation. By the evening, a crowd had gathered and cheered on workers as they set up scaffolding to begin removing the lettering that was installed after Trump ousted the institution's board of trustees and packed it with his allies last year.
Overnight Removal Process
Around 3 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 13, workers added a curtain that obstructed any view of the removal of Trump's name. A tarp now covers the newly removed name from the facade. The removal caps a legal battle that began last December when Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center's board, filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Trump's name from the 55-year-old institution.
Court Ruling and Implications
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May that “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it” and that the memorial to John F. Kennedy must stay unchanged. The disposal of the lettering, “The Donald J. Trump and,” is a stinging defeat for the Trump administration but vindication for many arts advocates, including some Kennedy family members who were furious at the rebranding.
The judge also blocked the two-year closure of the Kennedy Center due to renovations proposed by the Trump-installed board but left open the possibility that the board could revisit it through proper procedures, writing that the board “does not have leeway to disregard its obligations to present programming and maintain a presidential memorial site.”
