Workers at the Kennedy Center started removing President Donald Trump’s name from the building on Saturday, following a court-ordered deadline. The removal began early in the morning after the Kennedy Center requested an extension until noon due to thunderstorms that delayed the work. Scaffolding was erected around the section of the building featuring Trump’s name, and workers covered the scaffolding with tarps before starting the removal process. They left the site around 3:30 a.m., leaving the tarps in place, making it unclear if the name was fully removed.
On Friday, a judge had rejected a request to pause the deadline for removal. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a board member who initiated the lawsuit for the name's removal, was present at the site where onlookers gathered to express their support for the removal. The Kennedy Center's leadership has been in a legal battle over the name change and has also argued for necessary renovations to the building, citing structural concerns. The center has begun to comply with the court's ruling by updating its communications to reflect the name as 'The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.'