In brief
A federal judge has ordered the removal of former President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., after it was deemed that the theatre could not be renamed without congressional approval. The Kennedy Center, a memorial to President John F. Kennedy, had added the former president’s name last year in a controversial rebranding exercise. After the court order, crews set up scaffolding in front of the sign, and the name was taken off the building, its website, and other materials. Protesters gathered at the site, cheering as the change was carried out and celebrating the court’s decision. The case underscores the limits of executive influence over cultural institutions and the importance of legal checks on such actions.
The former President Donald Trump’s name has been removed from the front façade of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The change follows a federal judge’s order that the theatre cannot be renamed without congressional approval.
The Kennedy Center, which is officially a memorial to President John F. Kennedy, had added Trump’s name in a rebranding effort last year. The court ruling, issued in late May by US District Judge Christopher Cooper, deemed the addition unlawful and directed the removal of the name from the building, its website and other materials.
Crews began erecting scaffolding on Friday, with on‑lookers gathering to watch the removal. A brief delay caused by thunderstorms pushed the work into early Saturday, though the name was still gone from the principal signage. Protesters from Hands Off the Arts marched outside, cheering as the new scaffolding was installed and chanting “take it down.”
Stories on social media highlighted the moment as a triumph of the judiciary over a high‑profile political attempt to rebrand a national cultural institution. The decision preserves the Kennedy Center’s status as a memorial and emphasizes the need for congressional approval when renaming such venues.
For more information, visit BBC News.
