WASHINGTON — Construction workers began removing President Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts early Saturday, complying with a federal court order that required references to Trump to be removed from the landmark after a judge ruled the venue could not be renamed without congressional approval.
The work started hours after a court-imposed Friday deadline had passed. Scaffolding was erected around the section of the building bearing Trump’s name, and crews began dismantling the lettering during the early morning after weather-related delays, according to court filings and reports from news organizations at the scene.
The removal follows a legal dispute over a December 2025 decision by the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees to rename the institution “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May that the board lacked authority to change the name of the federally designated memorial, finding that only Congress could authorize such a move.
Representative Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat, challenged the renaming in court. The lawsuit argued that the board’s action violated federal law governing the institution. The court subsequently ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the building, the center’s website and other official materials. Appeals seeking to delay the order were rejected by both the district court and an appellate court, according to court records and media reports.
Shortly after midnight, attorneys representing the Kennedy Center requested additional time to complete the work, citing thunderstorms in the Washington area that they said posed safety concerns for workers. The filing stated that removal operations were underway and expected to conclude in the early hours of Saturday.
“Removal work is presently ongoing,” the Kennedy Center said in a court filing seeking the extension, according to documents cited by multiple news outlets.
Crowds gathered outside the performing arts venue on Friday evening and into Saturday morning as workers prepared to remove the signage. Witnesses observed crews taking down the letters from the exterior wall while portions of the work area were covered by tarps.
By Saturday afternoon, Kennedy Center officials informed the court that all references to Trump had been removed from the building, website and related branding materials in compliance with the order. The venue’s exterior once again displayed only the name honoring former President John F. Kennedy, according to court filings and officials.
