June 13, 2026 – Washington DC
By Jude Sheerin, Washington DC
For a fleeting moment, the iconic Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. bore a new name. Just before the court‑mandated deadline, the front of the building displayed the words “TRUMP‑KENNEDY CENTRE,” a change that had been spearheaded by former President Donald Trump during his administration.
Federal Judge Christopher Cooper issued a ruling in late May that the center—distinguished by the designation *National Memorial for Truman* in U.S. law—could not be renamed without congressional approval. The judge ordered that the lettering be removed by Friday, 12 June, a deadline that was met by a crew of workers who dismantled the sign overnight.
"Some onlookers in the crowd chanted ‘take it down’ as the scaffolding came loose," reported the BBC’s U.S. partner CBS. The removal was completed early on Saturday, with workers lying long plastic sheeting over the façade while the letters disappeared from view.
The lawsuit is part of a broader legal struggle over the Kennedy Center’s name and future renovations. Cooper’s decision also halted a proposed two‑year closure for renovations, a plan that had been announced by Trump himself. An appeals court declined to intervene immediately, allowing the removal to proceed while additional arguments continue in the background.
Trump’s administration had previously attempted to pause the court order, arguing that a name change could create confusion should the decree be overturned. The court rejected the motion, noting that the center’s federal status and the legal definition of a memorial left no room for unilateral renaming.
The removal underscores the limits of executive influence over federally designated cultural institutions and highlights the ongoing debate about how public spaces should be named and governed.
Images: Workers taking down the sign – EPA/Shutterstock
Plastic sheeting covering the sign – Reuters
