Donald Trump‘s name has been officially removed from The Kennedy Center following a federal court decision declaring the conversion illegal.
Workers removed the president’s name from the performing arts venue in Washington, DC in a pre-dawn operation on June 13, less than six months after it was added to the building’s exterior.
The billionaire mogul’s name was linked to the institution in December after its board voted unanimously to rename the site the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
However, a judge recently ordered the removal of Trump’s name, ruling that the change violated the 1964 federal law that established the center.
Workers began removing Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center’s exterior signage in the early hours of June 13 following a court order requiring the institution to restore its original name.
According to USA todaycrews arrived at the Washington, DC, venue on June 12, erected scaffolding, and later began removing the letters from the building’s facade. The removal came after the Justice Department failed to secure a last-minute pause in the ruling and after the court-ordered deadline to remove Trump’s name expired.
Staff ordered to drop Trump’s name from official material
Days before the physical removal of Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the decision was already being implemented internally, according to a report from New York Times.
An internal memo obtained by the outlet revealed that the center’s general counsel had instructed staff to immediately remove Trump’s name from official branding and communications.
This included updates to social media accounts, email signatures, voicemail messages, websites, ID cards and parking plates.
Staff were also ordered to change indoor and outdoor signage as well as other materials associated with Trump.
The urgency of the move appeared to stem from the timeline of the judge’s ruling, which ordered the center to restore the previous status quo within two weeks.
Donald Trump’s Kennedy Center Rebrand Faced Pushback
The original decision to add Trump’s name to the building drew criticism from several observers and ultimately prompted Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty to file a lawsuit trying to reverse the change.
Beatty argued that the board, which was reportedly made up largely of Trump appointees and supporters, lacked the authority to unilaterally rename an institution whose title had been determined by Congress.
Her lawsuit also challenged Trump’s proposal to close the center for two years for renovations, particularly the rationale behind the plan.
In addition, Beatty pointed to declining ticket sales and the departure of several artists since Trump’s takeover of the institution, apparently to argue that his name had only worsened the situation at the Kennedy Center.
Judge finds Donald Trump’s rebrand violated federal law
Much of Beatty’s argument was ultimately supported by Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court in Washington, who outlined his reasoning in a 94-page opinion issued late last month.
Judge Cooper concluded that the name change violated the 1964 federal law that established the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and as a symbol of America’s commitment to the arts.
According to the court, the statute makes clear that “the Kennedy Center shall be named for and is intended to honor President Kennedy alone.”
He further stated that any attempt to change the institution’s name would require the approval of Congress, as Congress alone has the authority to change the law governing the center.
Donald Trump threatens to walk away from Kennedy Center match
Trump was left outraged by Judge Cooper’s decision and took action Truth Social platform to express his frustration.
He said the judge should be ashamed of himself for blocking his plans for the institution, arguing that Cooper would rather let the center fall than be transformed into something that “everybody could be proud of.”
The billionaire mogul then shared his decision to step away from overseeing the institution altogether, saying he “cannot be involved in a situation where danger to the public is allowed to flourish in plain and open view.”
“Unless I’m free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this institution back, physically, financially and artistically,” added the real estate mogul. “I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into ‘NEVER NEVER LAND’.”
