Trump name removed from Kennedy Center after federal court order

A U.S. federal court ordered President Donald Trump's name taken off the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Judge Christopher Cooper set a June 12 deadline for the administration to comply, and Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty’s lawsuit forced the ruling.

Trump’s legal team unsuccessfully sought a pause, and a three‑judge D.C. Circuit panel denied the request. The removal was carried out in the early hours of June 13, with workers manually prying the lettering off and covering the work with a tarp.

Commentators likened the scene to historic regime‑change moments, including the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue and the fall of the Berlin Wall, framing it as a symbolic defeat for “Trumpism” and a victory for the rule of law.