Kennedy Center Removes Trump’s Name After Court Deadline

The Kennedy Center has fully removed President Donald Trump’s name from its building after a federal judge ordered the arts center to reverse the name change.

Executive Director Matt Floca told a judge in court documents Saturday that the removal was complete. The 11:59 p.m. Friday deadline was extended by 12 hours to noon ET Saturday after the center cited thunderstorms that delayed work.

Crews began removing the name from an exterior wall early Saturday morning under scaffolding covered by a tarp. A small crowd gathered to watch, with some chanting “Shame!” as workers took the letters down.

“I just wanted to see Trump’s name gone,” spectator JoAnn Jones told CNN. “When a person wants to put their name on a building that you had nothing to do with, you don’t deserve it.”

The removal followed a ruling by US District Judge Christopher Cooper. An appeals court on Friday rejected the center’s last-minute bid to freeze the deadline. The panel included Judge Gregory Katsas, a Trump appointee, and Judges Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins, both Obama appointees.

The appeals court asked for more legal arguments later this month on the center’s bid to pause the order. But the judges said the Kennedy Center must still comply with the directive to remove Trump’s name from the building, website, and promotional materials while the case continues.