Workers begin to remove Trump's name from Kennedy Center after court rulings

Workers began removing Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center facade on Saturday after a court-ordered deadline passed, turning a legal fight over the landmark’s branding into visible work on the building itself.

The removal started shortly after midnight, after the center sought extra time because of thunderstorms. Associated Press reported that scaffolding and tarps were put in place and that dismantling was underway by about 3:30 a.m.

Court ruling

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that only Congress has the authority to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is federally designated as a memorial. The order required the center to remove Trump branding from signage, documents, its website and promotional materials.

An emergency request to pause the ruling was denied before the removal work began. The court also blocked the planned two-year renovation shutdown tied to Trump’s plans.

How the dispute escalated

The conflict dates back to a Kennedy Center board vote in late 2025 to add Trump branding and name treatment at the building. Rep. Joyce Beatty later filed suit challenging the change.

The case has moved quickly from litigation to physical changes at the venue. Coverage on Friday and Saturday showed the center trying to manage the deadline while workers prepared to take down the facade lettering.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the board had asked for more time because of thunderstorms, while AP said the work was already underway before dawn. The reports agree that the center began complying with the order as the deadline passed, even as the broader legal fight remained active.

What remains unresolved

It was not immediately clear whether the facade removal was fully completed or whether interior and digital references still remained in place.

Further appellate action or another stay request remains possible, and the dispute still carries broader implications for who controls the name of a major federally supported cultural institution.

The Kennedy Center, which serves as a national performing arts venue and memorial to President John F. Kennedy, had been using Trump branding across official materials before the ruling required those references to be removed.