Full story
Trump name comes down
Workers removed President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center’s facade in Washington, D.C., after a judge ordered the change and the venue missed a Friday deadline, with tarps and scaffolding obscuring progress during the storm-delayed work.
“Kennedy Center misses deadline to remove Trump's name as government asks for 12-hour extension The government asked for "a short extension" due to bad weather in the area”
ABC News reported the government asked for “a short extension of time” for 12 hours until noon on June 13, 2026, citing thunderstorms in the District of Columbia that presented safety concerns for workers.
In a court filing, Kennedy Center executive director and chief operating officer Matt Floca told a federal court Saturday that the institution had complied by removing “all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds, including the front portico, that purports to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump.”
CNN said the Kennedy Center’s executive director stated the removal was completed to abide by a judge’s ruling, while crews placed a tarp over the signage on Friday and the tarp remained on the facade Saturday as the letters were taken down early Saturday morning.
Court fight and cheers
The legal fight continued as an appeals court denied the Department of Justice’s request for an administrative stay of a court order requiring removal of Trump’s name, after the Trump administration sought to block the scrubbing at the last minute.
CNN reported that a judge had granted the Kennedy Center’s request for additional time until noon ET Saturday after the organization missed an 11:59 p.m. Friday deadline, and it described protesters chanting “Take it down” while Rep. Joyce Beatty surveyed the scene.
AP said Beatty, a Democratic representative of Ohio who sued to remove references to the president from the building and center’s operations, posted a video and called it “Today’s victory is the beginning of returning the Kennedy Center to the American people,” adding that “The rule of law prevailed, and that is worth celebrating.”
BBC described Hands Off the Arts holding a small rally outside the Kennedy Center on Friday, with attendees chanting “take it down!” as one of the group’s leaders spoke into a megaphone and the crowd erupted in cheers after an appeals court denied the Trump administration’s second attempt to block the order.
What’s at stake next
Beyond the facade, the Kennedy Center’s compliance extended to its website and other materials, with NBC News reporting that an official told a federal judge Saturday that all references to President Donald Trump inside, outside and online had been removed in compliance with the extended order.
“Trump's name removed from Kennedy Center after court order US President Donald Trump's name has been taken down from the front of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, after a judge ordered its removal”
NBC News also said the Justice Department sought a 12-hour delay blaming thunderstorms, and it quoted DOJ lawyers writing, “The removal work is presently ongoing, and Defendants expect it will conclude in the early hours of the morning of June 13, 2026.”
The dispute also carried financial stakes in the filings, with ABC News reporting that the Trump administration argued removing Trump’s name would stall fundraising, prevent repairs from taking place and confuse the public, while the BBC said the case involved a broader legal dispute over renaming a memorial designated by US law.
BBC further noted that the judge blocked a temporary closure during upcoming proposed renovations, and CNN said the removal marked a blow to the president’s bid to control the performing arts center and his broader effort to put his stamp on Washington, DC.
