Workers removed President Donald Trump's name from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Saturday morning, following a federal court order that declared the renaming unlawful. The Kennedy Center's executive director, Matt Floca, confirmed compliance in a legal filing, stating that "all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds" bearing Trump's name had been taken down. A white tarp draped over scaffolding obscured the work from onlookers who gathered on the plaza, though a reporter was able to confirm through a gap in the covering that the letters were gone.
The removal came after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on May 29 that the Kennedy Center had been illegally renamed, and that only Congress holds the authority to change its name. The center — formally the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, a performing arts venue established in 1964 in memory of assassinated President John F. Kennedy — had been renamed "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts" in December, after Trump replaced much of the board of trustees and appointed himself chairman. Trump's name was added in large capital letters to the building's marble facade. The court gave the administration 14 days to remove the signage and any associated references. The Kennedy Center's board twice sought last-minute appeals to halt or delay the removal, both of which were rejected. Work was briefly delayed Friday evening by severe thunderstorms before resuming in the early hours of Saturday.
Small crowds gathered outside the center, cheering workers and holding signs reading "You are no JFK" and "JFK, not DJT." Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and ex officio board member who had sued to restore the original name, declared the outcome "a victory for the rule of law." A group called Stop the Takeover of the Arts, which says it advocates for keeping art free from government control, also organised a demonstration outside the building.
The episode is one chapter in a broader pattern of Trump placing his name and image on official institutions and spaces since returning to office in January 2025 — a move critics describe as an abrupt break with American political tradition. His name has also been added to the former U.S. Institute of Peace building, and his image appears on large banners outside several government departments. A number of artists cancelled scheduled Kennedy Center performances following the renaming.
Many questions remain about the center's future. The same court ruling that ordered Trump's name removed also blocked a planned two-year closure for renovations due to begin in July. Trump responded to the court's decision by saying he would hand the Kennedy Center back to Congress and suggested it could simply close over what he described as structural safety concerns — claims the center's board echoed in its appeal. The board also noted that Trump's name could return if it prevails on appeal. With staff levels already significantly reduced, it remains unclear how quickly the venue can rebuild a full programme of performances.