Kennedy Center Removes Trump’s Name Following Federal Ruling

A brief and chaotic chapter at the Kennedy Center ended this month when workers removed the name of former President Donald Trump from the building’s exterior. A livestream captured the final moments as the letters came down, erasing a contested addition that had been applied just months earlier.

The saga began in early 2025 after Trump installed new leadership at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. That team moved to insert his name alongside President Kennedy’s on all materials, including the official title: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” The move triggered widespread cancellations by artists, plummeting ticket sales, and public protest.

The rebranding ended when Ohio Representative Joyce Beatty, a Kennedy Center trustee, sued in Washington D.C. federal court. She argued that only Congress has authority to change the center’s name. In May, Judge Casey Cooper agreed, ruling that the addition illegally circumvented legislative power. The court gave the center 14 days to remove every trace of the name—from the building to stationery to digital platforms.

The building sign was the last vestige. It is now gone. The decision also blocked a parallel effort by Trump allies to close the center for two years, citing renovations. In a separate case in June, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board against jazz drummer Chuck Redd, who had canceled a holiday concert; the court found no contract existed. For the Kennedy Center, a return to legal footing—silent, and minus one name.