Workers began removing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s name from the façade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after a federal court ordered that references to him be taken down, following a legal dispute over the rebranding of the iconic cultural institution. The removal process began early Saturday, shortly after a court-imposed deadline passed at noon Eastern Time, after which scaffolding already installed around sections of the building was used to access signage bearing Trump’s name.

The court had earlier rejected requests to delay the order, despite arguments citing weather-related disruptions caused by thunderstorms in the Washington area. In filings submitted late Friday, the Kennedy Center informed the court that removal work was already underway and expected to be completed in the early hours of the morning. However, uncertainty remained for several hours as crews covered scaffolding with tarps and temporarily halted visible work before resuming removal operations shortly after midnight.

By around 3:30 a.m., workers had left the site, although protective coverings remained in place, making it unclear whether all signage had been fully dismantled. The operation followed a tense legal sequence in which both a request for a deadline extension and a subsequent appeal were rejected by the court within the same day.

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The dispute drew public attention as supporters and critics gathered outside the Kennedy Center, with some cheering and chanting slogans calling for the removal of Trump’s name. The case was also backed by Representative Joyce Beatty, a board member who supported legal action to reverse the naming decision.

The controversy stems from changes made during Trump’s second term in office, when he significantly reshaped the leadership structure of the Kennedy Center, replacing its board and assuming a position of influence that led to the addition of his name on the building. The recent court ruling effectively overturned that move, reinforcing that naming rights for federal cultural institutions must follow established legal and administrative procedures rather than executive discretion.

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