Kennedy Center Removes Trump’s Name After Legal Battle

In Washington, new photos reveal President Donald Trump’s name has been removed from the Kennedy Center’s facade following a prolonged legal dispute. A tarp and scaffolding were erected on June 13, the day after a federal judge’s deadline, concealing the removal from public view.

Mallory Miller, a former Kennedy Center employee and co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, shared the photos with NBC News. She speculated the tarp remains to protect Trump’s ego. Miller stated, “The Trump administration does not want to see the building without Trump’s name before they can go through all their appeals.”

The Kennedy Center did not comment on why the scaffolding and tarp persisted nearly 10 days post-removal. The Washington Post initially reported on the photos.

Established in 1964, Congress named the building the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts following Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the naming bill. Last December, signage read “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts” after Trump’s appointed board voted to include his name.

“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” wrote U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on May 29.

The continued tarp coverage raises questions about its purpose in hiding Trump’s name removal.

A Kennedy Center official confirmed all references to Trump, both online and onsite, were eliminated by June 13.

Miller remarked on the effectiveness of public activism, stating, “Trump thought he could take over this crown jewel of arts and culture. We’re fighting back to show he can’t.”