In brief
A judge ordered the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, a move requested by a federal court to preserve the venue’s status as a memorial to President John F Kennedy. Workers erected scaffolding overnight and mounted plastic sheeting to conceal the removal while crowds chanted for the signage to be taken down. The demolition followed earlier court rulings that the centre could not be renamed without congressional approval and the Trump administration’s failed attempt to halt the order. The event highlights ongoing tensions between the former president and the cultural institution he had rebranded in 2022.
After a federal judge issued a ruling, the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC was cleared of Donald Trump’s name. The venue confirmed its compliance with the court order by stating that the name no longer appears on its building, website or any materials.
The renaming was unlawful, a decision the judge first made last month and enforced the deadline that fell on 12 June. Employees proceeded to hoist new signage, while the Trump administration’s legal request to suspend the order was denied.
Hands Off the Arts, a group that wants to keep art free from government influence, staged a rally outside the centre. Attendees shouted “take it down!” as a leader spoke into a megaphone, cheering when an appeals court denied the Trump team’s second attempt to block the order.
On the outset of Saturday, crews draped long sheets of white and blue plastic across the building to hide the name removal. Observers could not see the new signage until the sheet was taken down later.
The case underscores a broader conflict over the centre’s name; it remains a memorial to President John F Kennedy under U.S. law. Earlier this year, the former president appointed himself as a trustee and later chair, expanding his influence over the venue.
