Kennedy Center to remove Trump name after court decision

Published 05 Jun, 2026 12:35pm 2 min read
Cyclists ride by the John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts, renamed The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts by the Trump administration, after a federal judge ordered that President Trump’s name be removed from the building, in Washington, DC, US. -- Reuters
Cyclists ride by the John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts, renamed The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts by the Trump administration, after a federal judge ordered that President Trump’s name be removed from the building, in Washington, DC, US. -- Reuters

The Kennedy Centre ​in Washington on Thursday ordered staff to remove President Donald Trump’s name from ‌the institution to comply with a federal court ruling, according to two people familiar with the directive.

The memo from the John F. Kennedy Centre’s general counsel is the first indication that it is moving to ​reverse the name change made by Trump to the iconic building last year.

Trump ​said last week he was directing his administration to conduct a “complete transfer” ⁠of the centre’s operations to Congress in response to the court ruling.

“You must immediately change ​email signatures, letterhead, and other documents to reflect the name as ‘The John F. Kennedy Centre ​for the Performing Arts,’ or ‘Kennedy Centre,’” the memo, which was seen by Reuters, said.

Other changes like signage, brochures, and websites “must be completed” by June 12.

In December, Trump added his name before Kennedy’s on the facade ​of the white marble building, prompting a lawsuit from Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, ​a member of the Kennedy Centre’s board.

On May 29, a federal judge in Washington ruled the centre ‌cannot ⁠be renamed without an act of Congress.

US District Judge Christopher Cooper directed the Trump administration to take down all physical signage bearing Trump’s name and to eliminate any references to a “Trump Kennedy Centre” from official materials within 14 days.

It is unclear when the Republican president’s ​name will be physically ​removed from the building.

The ⁠Kennedy Centre opened in 1971 as a memorial to the late president, who was assassinated in 1963.

Its board voted in December ​to alter the centre’s name to include Trump, who had replaced several ​board members ⁠and appointed himself a trustee.

Trump’s plan to renovate the Kennedy Centre is part of a broader push to reshape Washington’s monumental core.

On Thursday, Trump announced his administration’s plans to build a ⁠promenade ​to the Lincoln Memorial.

He also intends to erect ​a 250-foot (76-meter) arch and to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site of the demolished East Wing of the ​White House.

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