Court-ordered removal of Trump's name from Washington's Kennedy Center

A federal judge ruled that only Congress can change the name of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, invalidating the board’s 2025 decision to add President Donald Trump’s name to the facade. Workers began dismantling the gold letters in the early hours of June 13 2026 after the center secured a 12‑hour extension to address weather delays caused by severe thunderstorms. The removal was carried out behind large white tarps, limiting public view, though onlookers gathered on the plaza and many streamed the event online. Executive Director Matt Floca confirmed in court filings that all signage bearing Trump’s name had been taken down. Representative Joyce Beatty (D‑OH), an ex‑officio trustee who sued to reverse the renaming, celebrated the outcome as “the rule of law prevailing.” The Kennedy Center’s legal fight continues, with the institution appealing the order while the building’s exterior remains covered by tarps. The episode is seen as a symbolic victory for critics of the former president’s influence over the traditionally nonpartisan cultural venue.