Workers began removing US President Donald Trump's name from the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington on Saturday morning, a day after the court deadline for its removal. The president's name had been added to the performing arts venue unlawfully, a federal judge found last month, ordering it to be taken down by Friday 12 June.
Crews erected scaffolding on Friday evening as onlookers gathered, though thunderstorms delayed the work until early Saturday. Some people chanted "take it down," according to the BBC's US partner CBS. In the early hours of Saturday, workers hung long plastic sheeting from the structure, hiding the removal of the letters.
US District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in late May that the venue in central Washington DC can't be renamed without congressional approval. He also blocked the centre's temporary closure during upcoming proposed renovations. An appeals court declined to intervene immediately, allowing the removal to proceed pending further arguments.
The Trump administration had argued that changing the centre's name could create confusion if the decision were later overturned. A last-minute attempt to pause the order was rejected by the judge.
The case stems from a broader legal dispute over the renaming of the cultural institution, which US law designates as a memorial to President John F Kennedy. Trump announced the addition of his name to the institution, among other rebranding measures across the nation's capital, last year. In February 2025, he replaced several trustees on the centre's board and appointed himself as a trustee before being voted in as the arts centre's chairman.
The Kennedy Center was established by an act of Congress in 1958 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Federal law specifically names it the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Judge Cooper ruled that changing that name without fresh congressional approval is illegal. The Trump administration's argument that the president has authority over the centre because he appointed himself chairman didn't hold up in court.
The removal of Trump's name is now underway, but the legal fight isn't over. The Trump administration can still appeal the ruling. The appeals court that declined to intervene said arguments on the merits can continue. If the administration wins on appeal, the name could go back up — but for now, the letters are coming down. The centre itself remains open, and the planned renovations that Trump had wanted to use to close it temporarily are blocked for now.