The Kennedy Center’s Trump Name Is Being Removed After Court Order

A new memo from the Kennedy Center’s legal team tells staff to drop “Trump” from every reference to the venue. The change follows a federal judge’s decision that the center cannot carry a president’s name without Congress approving it. The directive arrives after Trump had put his own name on the building last year, a move that sparked legal action from a Democratic congresswoman and board member. The memo orders immediate updates to email signatures, letterheads, brochures, websites and other printed material. All signage must be changed by June 12. The center’s board had approved the rename in December, but that decision was reversed when a judge ruled it illegal.Trump had said he would transfer the center’s operations to Congress in response to the ruling, but no physical removal of his name from the marble façade has yet occurred. The center was originally opened in 1971 as a tribute to President Kennedy, who died in 1963. The rename was part of a larger plan by the Trump administration to remodel Washington’s historic core, including proposals for a new promenade to the Lincoln Memorial and a 250‑foot arch. The legal battle shows how even high‑profile cultural institutions can be caught up in politics and court rulings.