The Kennedy Center began removing President Donald Trump’s name from its facade Friday evening and into the early hours of Saturday, hours after a court-ordered deadline.Scaffolding went up outside the performing arts center on Friday as dozens of onlookers gathered to watch the removal. In a court filing seeking an extension, the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees said nearby thunderstorms had delayed the work but that “removal work is presently ongoing” and was expected to be completed overnight. An arts advocacy group also arranged a livestream of the effort.Workers later covered the scaffolding with tarps before beginning to remove Trump’s name. Crews left the site around 3:30 a.m., though the tarps remained in place, making it unclear whether all of the lettering had been taken down.
Workers wait for the rain to stop before resuming work to remove President Donald Trump’s name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)Workers construct scaffolding below the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign Friday, June 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)People wait for President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)Workers install tarps on the scaffolding at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)A worker removes a letter from President Donald Trump’s name from the wall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)The wall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is covered in tarp after President Donald Trump’s name was removed, in Washington, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
