UMVA has learned that the Kennedy Center has begun removing President Donald Trump's name from its facade, a process that started on Friday evening and continued into the early hours of Saturday, following a court-ordered deadline.
The removal process was met with great interest, as dozens of onlookers gathered to watch the scaffolding go up outside the performing arts center, and an arts advocacy group even arranged a livestream of the effort. Workers covered the scaffolding with tarps before starting to take down Trump's name, but the progress was delayed by nearby thunderstorms.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the Kennedy Center's board of trustees had made a last-minute attempt to halt the order, but the request was rejected by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who found that the institution had not demonstrated its appeal was likely to succeed. This ruling came after the board argued that the removal was unnecessary and that the court was interfering with their efforts to address serious structural concerns.
The Kennedy Center had been ordered to remove Trump's name after a court ruling found that only Congress has the authority to change the institution's name. The center had added Trump's name to the building in December 2025, but this move was met with controversy and ultimately led to the court-ordered removal. The ruling also barred the administration from closing the venue for a planned two-year renovation project.
As the removal process continued, workers left the site around 3:30 a.m., but the tarps remained in place, making it unclear whether all of the lettering had been taken down. The Kennedy Center has already taken steps to comply with the ruling, including instructing staff to refer to the institution by its original name, "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts", in all official documents.
UMVA has gathered that the controversy surrounding the Kennedy Center's name change is just one part of a larger struggle for control of the institution. Trump had moved quickly to reshape the center after returning to office, removing the leadership and installing a new board of trustees, but the court's ruling has limited his ability to make further changes. The removal of Trump's name from the building marks a significant turning point in this struggle, and it remains to be seen what the future holds for the Kennedy Center.
