Court Orders Removal of Donald J. Trump Name from Kennedy Center
A federal judge ruled that the Kennedy Center must remove the Donald J. Trump signage and barred the administration from closing the venue for renovations.
A U.S. District Court judge has ordered the removal of the "Donald J. Trump" lettering from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and prohibited the administration from shutting the venue for renovations. The decision follows a lawsuit filed by Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex officio board member, challenging the president’s attempt to rename the institution. Judge Christopher Cooper set a midnight deadline of June 12 for the bronze letters to be taken down and required the removal of the name from signage, the Center’s website, and officials’ signatures.
The administration appealed the deadline, but the appeal was denied and the Department of Justice filed a certification that the court order would be complied with. Workers have erected scaffolding and draped a tarp over the façade while the letters are being removed. The Center, which had been temporarily renamed in December, remains open, and the judge also blocked a planned two-year closure for renovations.
The legal action underscores the limited authority of the executive branch to rename federal cultural institutions, a power that resides with Congress. The removal of the name is being carried out under court supervision, and the timeline for fully uncovering the façade remains uncertain.
