Donald Trump’s name is being removed from the Kennedy Center following a court order mandating its removal from the renowned performing arts venue. Scaffolding was put up on Friday around the section of the building that includes Trump’s name. However, due to thunderstorms in the Washington area causing delays, the Kennedy Center requested an extension until noon Eastern Time on Saturday.
The Kennedy Center assured in a filing that the removal work was in progress and would be completed in the early hours of the morning. Workers began covering the scaffolding with tarps before proceeding to take down Trump’s name. On Friday, numerous individuals gathered on the plaza in front of the Kennedy Center, taking pictures and intermittently cheering, urging for the removal. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, who sued for the removal of Trump’s name, was seen on the plaza.
Earlier in the day, a judge denied a request to postpone the court-ordered deadline. The institution appealed the ruling, but the effort was rejected later that evening. Trump, after neglecting the Kennedy Center in his first term, gained significant control upon his return to office. He replaced the previous leadership with a board of trustees naming him chairman, leading to the swift addition of his name to the building.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Center’s name, thereby blocking the administration from closing the venue for planned renovations. The Kennedy Center’s leadership argued that the renovations were crucial and criticized the lower court for impeding their efforts.
Despite the resistance to removing Trump’s name, the Kennedy Center has complied with Cooper’s initial ruling by making changes to email signatures, letterhead, and other official documents. The Kennedy Center’s website no longer features Trump’s name, and communications to members have excluded his name as well.