In the dead of night, behind a screen of tarpaulin, a crew of workers spent the early hours of Saturday stripping Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC – hours after a judge rejected an emergency appeal to block the removal.
Work began shortly after the performing arts venue missed a federal judge’s two-week deadline to excise the words “The Donald J Trump and” from its exterior by Friday at 11.59pm local time. Scaffolding had been erected on Friday evening, and at 2am workers draped tarpaulin over the temporary structure to block public views. Through a small opening in the covering, they were seen removing the letters at about 3am. It took roughly 30 minutes for Trump’s name to come down.
“Crew removes Donald Trump's name from Kennedy Center facade after judge rejects emergency appeal to block court-ordered removal.”
A crowd gathered in front of the centre to cheer on the workers and witness the restoration of the original name: “The John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” People chanted “Shame!” and “Take it down!”. On Saturday morning the signage remained covered, but passersby still stopped to take photos.
The removal came after US district judge Christopher Cooper ruled last month that Trump’s name had been illegally added and ordered its removal. The legal challenge was brought by Joyce Beatty, a Democratic representative of Ohio and an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name,” the judge wrote in his 94-page opinion, “and only Congress can change it.” Cooper also issued a temporary block on Trump’s demand to close the centre for two years of renovations, which was due to start in July.
Trump reacted by saying he was giving up control of the venue, which he seized in February by removing the 18 trustees appointed by former president Joe Biden, handpicking new ones and naming himself chair. The board voted unanimously on 18 December to rename the venue “The Donald J. Trump and The John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts”. Workers began affixing his name the following day. Now, less than six months later and the day before Trump’s 80th birthday, his attempt to leave his visible mark on the building has been thwarted. His name has also been dropped from the centre’s website.
Less than 36 hours before the deadline, lawyers acting for Trump and the Kennedy Center board mounted a last-minute attempt to keep his name on the building. The Department of Justice said the government would miss the deadline, and sought to have the removal order paused, but a judge in Washington declined the request. An emergency appeal was also rejected by the appeals court.
Beatty, who waited to see the removal, called the request for an extension “inexcusable” and part of “a pattern of non-compliance”, according to the Department of Justice filing. Speaking outside the centre, she said: “We were on the side of justice. And one of the things we’ve always said, if we’re going to fight for the people, if we’re going to fight for democracy, we have to make sure that we respect the rule of law.” Describing the moment as both “humbling” and “an honour”, she added: “It also says to me how impactful it is when people unite and stand together.”