Donald Trump’s Name Removed from Kennedy Center Building

May 31, Kathmandu – The name of President Donald Trump has been removed from the main building of the prestigious cultural hub, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Matthew Flaherty, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of the Kennedy Center, disclosed this information in a written submission to the District of Columbia federal court on Saturday. According to him, the task force has completely removed “all physical signage and names” related to President Trump or any other individual from the building’s exterior structure and surrounding area. Going forward, the center will be named solely after former President John F. Kennedy.

Due to adverse weather conditions delaying work on Friday, laborers removed Trump’s name from the white walls of the building early Saturday morning, covering the area with tarps. U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled at the end of May that President Trump’s decision to rebrand the Kennedy Center under his own name was illegal. The court clarified that the authority to change the center’s name resides solely with Congress. This step to remove the name was taken in compliance with the court order.

Following the court directive, the Kennedy Center’s official website has also removed Trump’s name. Additionally, new employee ID cards have been issued, email signatures have been updated, and trademark applications related to the name change have been withdrawn. The path for removing the name opened after the appeals court rejected last-ditch efforts by the Trump administration and the Department of Justice on Friday to obtain a stay of Judge Cooper’s ruling. This development is considered a significant setback for President Trump, who had ambitiously planned to appoint his close associates to the center’s board and close the venue entirely for two years to undertake major renovations. Judge Cooper, appointed by former President Barack Obama, also blocked Trump’s plans to close the center. In response, a frustrated Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that if he is not allowed to proceed in his own way, he has no interest in the institution.