Trump's name removed from Washington arts center

Workers in Washington, D.C., removed President Donald Trump’s name from the exterior of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday after a federal court ruled that the venue’s renaming was unlawful.

According to a legal filing, Kennedy Center Executive Director Matt Floca confirmed that all physical signs bearing Trump’s name had been removed from the building and its surrounding grounds.

By midday, the sign on the building’s facade remained concealed beneath a white tarp while crews continued the removal process. Earlier in the day, the sound of construction work could be heard from behind the cover as passersby paused to observe the activity.

The removal followed a court decision rejecting a last-minute request by the center’s board to delay the process. The ruling dealt a blow to Trump’s efforts since returning to office to place his name and image on public institutions, a move viewed as a departure from longstanding American political norms.

A large crowd gathered outside the Kennedy Center on Friday evening, occasionally applauding as workers assembled scaffolding to dismantle the signage. Thousands of others followed the event through online livestreams, waiting for Trump’s name to be removed.

The operation was temporarily delayed due to thunderstorms that raised safety concerns for workers, Floca said, adding that the work was expected to be completed during the early morning hours.

Last month, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered that Trump’s name be removed from the landmark venue by Friday. In his May 29 ruling, Cooper stated that the Kennedy Center had been renamed without legal authority and that only Congress has the power to alter the institution’s official name.