Kennedy Center Starts Removing Trump’s Name Following Delayed Deadline

Workers began removing President Donald Trump’s name from an exterior wall of the Kennedy Center early Saturday after the historic performing arts venue missed a court-ordered deadline to comply with a federal judge’s ruling.

The removal effort followed a late-night push by crews who had been assembling scaffolding beneath the building’s exterior signage throughout Friday. According to reports, workers started covering the scaffolding shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, obscuring the view of the operation as onlookers gathered nearby.

Video footage appeared to show crews beginning the removal process shortly after 3 a.m., with workers taking down letters bearing Trump’s name from the building’s facade.

The Kennedy Center had been ordered by US District Judge Casey Cooper to remove the president’s name and certify compliance by 11:59 p.m. Friday. However, attorneys representing the center informed the court that severe thunderstorms in the Washington area had delayed the work and requested additional time to complete the task.

In their filing, Justice Department lawyers said crews expected to finish removing the signage during the early hours of Saturday.

The judge had not immediately responded to the request for an extension as work continued overnight.

Earlier on Friday, a federal appeals court rejected the Kennedy Center’s last-minute attempt to pause the ruling while further legal proceedings continued. The court’s brief, unsigned order allowed the removal requirement to remain in effect but did not provide an explanation for its decision.

The three-judge panel included Judge Gregory Katsas, appointed by Trump, along with Judges Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins, both appointed by former President Barack Obama.

The overnight removal marks the latest chapter in a legal dispute surrounding the use of Trump’s name at one of the nation’s most prominent cultural institutions.