The Kennedy Center Removes Trump’s Name from Honor and Recognition

Before dawn in Washington, staff quietly began to remove the name of U.S. President Donald Trump from the Kennedy Center – which quickly became less than six months after the installation of the signage and a direct response to a federal judge's ruling that the name of the emblematic could not be changed without Congressional approval.

The work began around 1:20 a.m. local time, just hours after the Department of Justice acknowledged it would miss a deadline set by the court to remove Mr. Trump’s name from the site established half a century ago to honor John F. Kennedy.

In December, the center's board, chaired by Mr. Trump, voted to rename the center the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Staff began to affix his name to the building the following day.

A judge ruled that only Congressional law could allow for a name change.

After a late repair was made yesterday, staff covered the building with temporary tarps in the early hours of the morning and were seen removing signage around 3:10 a.m. in a process that lasted about 30 minutes.

Yesterday afternoon, the DOJ informed the court that it would not meet the deadline due to the impending storms that could create safety hazards for staff, and requested a 12-hour extension.

U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty from Ohio, who filed the final required motion to have Mr. Trump’s name removed – described the request for a two-week extension as “unexcused” and part of “a noncompliant pattern,” according to the DOJ filing.

Hours before the DOJ filing, a federal judge in Washington denied the department's request to halt the order to remove Mr. Trump’s name.