Donald Trump’s name has been removed from the Kennedy Center’s facade, following a federal judge’s order to strip the signage after the president turned 80 on Sunday. Workers completed the removal early Saturday morning after a court-ordered deadline, ending a weeks-long legal battle over whether Trump could rename the performing arts venue.
U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled on May 29 that the Kennedy Center’s board had overstepped its authority when it voted in December 2025 to rename the building the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” In a 94-page decision, Cooper wrote that “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
Trump had appointed several new board members in February 2025, including former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Sergio Gor, the U.S. Ambassador to India. The reconstituted board then voted to rename the facility and announced plans for a two-year closure for extensive renovations. The judge’s ruling halted both the renaming and the proposed closure, allowing the Kennedy Center to remain open while phased repairs continue.
The lawsuit was filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, who claimed her voting rights were stripped when the board amended its bylaws. In her statement after the ruling, Beatty said the decision reaffirmed that “the Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred memorial for his own vanity.”
After the judge’s May 29 ruling, Trump appealed and sought delays, but a federal appeals court denied his request for an administrative stay on Friday, June 13. The judge then gave Trump until late Friday to comply. Workers, concealed behind tarps and scaffolding, began removing the signage in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 14. A Kennedy Center official confirmed in a court filing that Trump’s name had been removed from “all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds, including the front portico.”
The judge’s ruling noted that while the board had recommended various renovation projects, none required a complete closure. Cooper wrote that repairs could be completed in phases while the building remained open to the public. Trump responded to the initial May 29 ruling with a lengthy Truth Social post, saying he had “no interest in continuing” the renovation effort if he wasn’t free to pursue his vision for the facility.
Sources
- Axios — Judge Cooper’s 94-page ruling and the legal basis for removing Trump’s name; Trump’s Truth Social response
- BBC — Confirmation that Trump’s name was removed from the Kennedy Center facade
- USA Today — Final score details and deadline reporting
- PBS NewsHour — Judge’s denial of Kennedy Center’s request to pause the removal order
- AP News — Workers removing Trump’s signage and the court-ordered deadline
- CNN — Kennedy Center board’s vote in December 2025 to rename the facility
- Naples Daily News — Trump’s birthdate of June 14, 1946, making him 80 years old
