The curtain may have come down for President Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center, but the tarp stays up for now.
Matt Floca, executive director and chief operating officer of the performing arts venue, told a federal court Saturday (June 13) that the institution had complied with an order to remove Trump’s name from the facade. In a filing, Floca said the board of trustees and the center had removed “all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds, including the front portico, that purports to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump.”
But for onlookers who have gathered on the plaza in front of the center over the past day hoping to witness a dramatic moment symbolizing the limits of Trump’s power, it was virtually impossible to see whether the signage was gone. A tarp hung over the scaffolding constructed for workers to perform that task. It was unclear when the tarp might be removed to reveal the original lettering that had endured for decades: “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
A reporter was able to peer through a slight opening in the tarp, which was pulled tightly against the wall, and saw that the letters for Trump’s name were no longer affixed to the building.
By the end, the Kennedy Center’s leadership had dug in against a federal judge’s order to erase Trump’s name from the building. Two courts rejected the institution’s last-minute request to keep retain Trump’s name pending an appeal. After severe thunderstorms raked Washington on Friday evening, the Kennedy Center sought one more extension before complying with a noon Saturday deadline.
Those who pushed for the scrubbing of Trump’s name were in a celebratory mood. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex officio member of the board who sued to remove references to the president from the building and the center’s operations, was spotted in the plaza late Friday and Saturday morning. She posted a video to social media that purported to show her performing the “Trump dance” in one of the Kennedy Center’s great halls.
“Today’s victory is the beginning of returning the Kennedy Center to the American people,” Beatty said in a statement. “The rule of law prevailed, and that is worth celebrating.”
Leo Bartholomaus, a recent graduate of Syracuse University who lives in Virginia, said he was walking by the Kennedy Center on Friday afternoon after visiting the National Mall to see events related to this weekend’s UFC match at the White House. He said he was not happy that Trump added his name to the building.
“My grandmother had a big love of the arts,” he said. “I’ve been here to see The Lion King. I wasn’t a fan of Donald Trump putting his name on it. I thought it was better as the Kennedy Center.”
The removal of Trump’s name closes one of the more unusual chapters in the history of the Kennedy Center, which began construction in 1964 and was dedicated to the memory of the slain president, Democrat John F. Kennedy. At what is typically one of the few relatively nonpartisan spaces in Washington, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his second term.
Though he rarely discussed the Kennedy Center during his 2024 campaign, Trump moved quickly to oust the institution’s leadership when he returned to office in January 2025 and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. His name was quickly added to the building.
While the removal of his name marks a setback for Trump, he is moving forward with plans to reshape the physical landscape of the nation’s capital in ways that have few modern parallels.
He demolished the East Wing of the White House and is building a controversial ballroom in its place. He remodeled the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and plans extensive renovations of a golf course in East Potomac Park, moves that could significantly reduce public access to running and biking paths. He is also moving forward with a triumphal arch that will sit near Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River in Virginia.
Indeed as Trump’s name was being removed from the Kennedy Center, the South Lawn of the White House has been transformed into a venue for a UFC match intended to celebrate American independence but also coinciding with Trump’s birthday on Sunday.
Back at the Kennedy Center, there are many questions about its future. The same May court decision that ordered Trump’s name be removed from building also blocked a planned two-year closure for renovations that was set to begin next month.
The Kennedy Center’s calendar for upcoming weeks includes performances of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Bluey’s Big Play. Comedian Bill Maher is set to be awarded with Mark Twain Award for American Humor during a ceremony on June 28.
But little is scheduled for stages beyond that and after substantially reducing staff, it is unclear how quickly it could build out a robust performance list. Trump, angered by court’s order removing his name has stated he would turn over Kennedy Center to Congress and suggested it might simply shutter due to public safety concerns.
In its unsuccessful appeal on Friday seeking pause on order removing Trump’s name, Kennedy Center’s leadership argued using terms similar to president’s speech patterns that lower court interfered with needed renovations.
“The District Court is not allowing us to close in order properly fix up and repair Building including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted and serious danger falling onto people below,” according appeal. “Indeed total collapse!”
The institution also suggested president’s name could return if Kennedy Center later wins its appeal.
If court denied venue’s request pause, Kennedy Center argued it would “be forced squander time money — by both removing signage then potentially returning after appeal.”
