BREAKING: Trump’s Name Officially Removed from the Kennedy Center After Courts Shut Him Down
A federal court order forced the Kennedy Center to strip Trump’s name from its facade by Saturday, and thousands celebrated on a livestream as it happened in real time.
The performing arts venue’s executive director confirmed in a court filing that all physical signage renaming the building after Trump had been removed, including from the front portico and surrounding grounds. The original name, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, endures.
The Kennedy Center’s leadership fought the ruling at every turn. They made two separate appeals to pause the order and sought a last-minute extension after severe thunderstorms rolled through Washington Friday evening. Both appeals were rejected. The courts weren’t having it.
Leading the charge throughout the legal battle was Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex officio board member who filed the original lawsuit to remove Trump’s branding from the building and its operations. She was spotted on the plaza Friday night and again Saturday morning, and she posted video of herself celebrating inside the Kennedy Center’s grand halls.
“Today’s victory is the beginning of returning the Kennedy Center to the American people,” Beatty said. “The rule of law prevailed, and that is worth celebrating.”
And the American people agreed. Thousands tuned in live to watch the moment unfold, cheering as history was made on the banks of the Potomac.
The Kennedy Center was dedicated to President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s and has stood as one of Washington’s rare nonpartisan cultural institutions. Trump moved quickly in his second term to oust its leadership, install loyalists, and slap his name on the building. The courts just as quickly said no.