Kennedy Center Removes Trump's Name from Front Entrance After Judge Orders Reversal

U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper mandated removal on May 29, 2026. The deadline was 14 days from the ruling, with removal completed by June 12, 2026. Crews removed 18 letters reading "The Donald J. Trump and." The restored name is "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The legal basis is that only Congress can change the Kennedy Center's name under 1964 law.

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	Kennedy Center Removes Trump's Name from Front Entrance After Judge's Ruling Li Haung - National-Politics Tell Us USA News Network WASHINGTON, D.C. Crews began removing President Donald Trump's name from the front of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 12, the final day of a federal judge's deadline, restoring the building's original name after a controversial 2025 renaming. U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper mandated removal on May 29, 2026. The deadline was 14 days from the ruling, with removal completed by June 12, 2026. Crews removed 18 letters reading "The Donald J. Trump and." The restored name is "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." The legal basis is that only Congress can change the Kennedy Center's name under 1964 law. In December 2025, Trump's hand-picked board of trustees voted unanimously to rename the institution the "Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," installing new signage on the marble exterior within 24 hours. The move followed Trump firing multiple board members, including chair David Rubenstein, and appointing new Trump loyalist trustees. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex officio board member, filed suit on December 22, 2025, challenging the change. Judge Cooper's 94-page opinion stated that Congress designated the Kennedy Center's name in 1964 and only Congress possesses the authority to alter it. He wrote that the Center's statute makes clear that it is to be named for Kennedy and the Board's unilateral say-so cannot bear other formal or public names. The judge also temporarily blocked the center from closing summer for renovations. On June 4, general counsel ordered staff to remove Trump's name from email signatures, social media, and promotional content. On June 8, the website logo changed to exclude "Trump." On June 11, the judge denied the Kennedy Center's last-minute request to pause removal. On June 12, scaffolding was erected and crews began removing signage by the final deadline. At midnight on June 12, the appeals court denied the DOJ's request for an administrative stay. Work is expected to conclude fully by Saturday morning. The Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling. The building now bears its original name, honoring only President John F. Kennedy, as Congress originally intended 62 years ago.