WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge cleared the way for President Donald Trump's name to be removed from the Kennedy Center's exterior on Friday, denying a last-minute request from the institution's board that would have kept the name in place.
With storms gathering near Washington before a court-ordered deadline to remove references to Trump, workers were seen building scaffolding around a section of the building that includes the president's name. A crowd gathered nearby and cheered their work as Trump's name moved closer to being taken down.
Yet the Kennedy Center's leadership didn't abandon its legal efforts to keep Trump's name in place. The institution appealed the ruling denying it request for a stay and requested action by the court by 7 pm ET.
“This appeal raises serious questions about Article III standing and about the powers of the Center’s Board," the filing read. "Major physical changes to the Center should await this Court’s resolution of those issues; as an equitable matter, it does not make sense to alter the Center’s name and signage now, only to potentially revert the name again after what should be a successful appeal.”
Last month, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Trump’s name was illegally added to the iconic Washington performing arts facility and ordered it removed by Friday. Late Thursday, Trump’s handpicked board at the center mounted a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the iconic performing arts facility, a request that Cooper denied.
A June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”
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The Kennedy Center’s website has dropped Trump's name. And an earlier email sent to members offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump’s name.
After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he ousted the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman.
In his earlier ruling, Cooper also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.
Associated Press journalists Mark Sherman and Emily Wang in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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