Trump’s name removed from Kennedy Center after judge’s order

Workers began taking down Donald Trump’s name from the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., a day after a judge’s deadline for the removal was met.

The president’s name had been added to the cultural venue unlawfully, a federal judge found last month, ordering it to be taken down by Friday, 12 June. Crews erected scaffolding on Friday, and thunderstorms delayed the work until early on Saturday, when the signage was approached by onlookers chanting “take it down.”

The case stems from a broader legal dispute over the renaming of the cultural institution, which U.S. law designates as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. A judge ruled in late May that the venue cannot be renamed without congressional approval and also blocked any temporary closure for proposed renovations.

The Trump administration’s attempt to pause the order was rejected, and an appeals court declined to intervene immediately, allowing the removal to proceed while further arguments are considered. The decision highlights the limits of executive influence over federally designated cultural properties.