Workers Remove Donald Trump’s Name From John F. Kennedy Center After Court Deadline

Workers began removing President Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, hours after a court-ordered Friday deadline.

“Trump's name removed from Kennedy Center following court order: DOJ A judge had given the administration until noon Saturday to remove the name”

ABC News

ABC News reported that the Justice Department filed a certification in federal court saying Trump’s name has been "removed" from "all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds."

ABC News

The Kennedy Center executive director Matt Floca said the president’s name was also removed from "employees' email signatures, employees' email communications, letterhead, brochures, promotional materials, press releases, signs, [and] contracts."

The dispute followed a federal appeals court on Friday night denying the DOJ’s request for an administrative stay of a court order requiring removal of Trump’s name from the Washington, D.C., performing arts center.

NBC News said construction workers began removing Trump’s name from the building’s facade early Saturday morning, six months after a board handpicked by the president voted to rebrand the venue by adding his name.

As removal work continued, a tarp remained in place, with Forbes saying a large tarp still blocked the signage from public view days after the Kennedy Center removed Trump’s name from the building’s facade.

Forbes reported that in a court filing on Saturday, lawyers representing the Kennedy Center said it is now in "full compliance" with the court order to ditch Trump’s name.

Al Jazeera

ABC News said the government requested "a short extension of time" for 12 hours until noon on June 13, citing thunderstorms in the District of Columbia that presented safety concerns for workers.

The Associated Press described the scene as workers erected scaffolding in front of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign in Washington on Friday, June 12, 2026.

In Washington, D.C., FOX 5 DC reported that a crowd gathered over the weekend and that officials said Trump’s name had been taken down, while a tarp now covered the center’s name.

Even as the exterior was being restored, CBS News reported the Kennedy Center is establishing a new endowment in President Trump’s name, with the board voting unanimously at a Thursday meeting.

CBS News quoted Roma Davari, vice president of public relations, saying the Trump Kennedy Center Fund is intended to "recognize President Donald J. Trump's significant contributions and dedication" to the center.

CBS News also said the Kennedy Center’s $257 million in federal funding and previously existing private endowments are part of the context for the new fund.

The stakes remain tied to the court fight over the name change and renovations, with NBC News quoting U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper writing on May 29 that "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it."

NBC News further reported that the May ruling blocked a planned two-year closure of the center sought by Trump’s board to undertake renovations, while the center’s appeal and compliance filings continued into the removal process.