The Trumps and the Kennedys are are arguably the biggest names in American politics today -- but the two names won't mingle anymore on the most prominent cultural center in Washington D.C.
After a federal judge ruled that Trump's moves to load the Kennedy Center Board with personal fans and friends and then urge them to vote to rename the building after himself had been unlawful, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts told employees to immediately remove President Trump’s name.
Trump branding was immediately taken away from official forms and other documents, with his name to be removed from the building within two weeks.
"The memo gave staff members detailed instructions on the materials that needed to be updated, including social media accounts, email signatures and voice mail messages. It specified that outdoor and indoor signage with the barred name must be altered by June 12," the New York Times reported.
PBS News has obtained a memo that was sent today to Kennedy Center staff that says that President Trump’s name has to be removed from Kennedy Center signage, promo materials, website, etc. It must happen by June 12, according to the center’s office of general counsel. pic.twitter.com/I1vxhcddEl
— Liz Landers (@ElizLanders) June 4, 2026
Roma Daravi, a spokeswoman for the Kennedy Center, took a conciliatory tone with the Trump Administration in a statement, where she said: "We are complying with the court’s order while evaluating all legal options to preserve this revitalization and recognize President Trump’s leadership.”
There's no word yet on whether Trump will keep fighting in court for the name, but if history is any indication, the decision to remove it isn't the last word on the subject.
Renaming the building after himself came amid a dizzying number of Trump projects, that observers say is meant to cement Trump's legacy long after he's gone. He's building a ballroom at the White House, planning a Trump Arch in so large it dwarfs the Arc de Triomphe, and just completed a revamp of the Reflecting Pool in Washington.
The Kennedy Center is the only project so far to get a reversal as the president carries out his namesake projects largely without congressional approval or transparent funding. A federal planning commission on Thursday advanced President Trump’s plan to build a 250-foot arch in Washington, even after receiving overwhelming public opposition to the project based on many issues, including a local rule that bars any structure over 160 feet.
“The project team has some homework to do,” said federal planning commission chairman Will Scharf, who also serves as Trump’s White House staff secretary. He added, “I think that it is fitting and proper that we commemorate the 250th anniversary of our great republic with a suitable piece of monumental architecture.”
Meanwhile, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool just reopened after a Trump-ordered change to a bright blue water, reminiscent of the colors at Trump resort Mar-a-Lago. At a cost of nearly $15 million, there were concerns the newly blue pool would no longer reflects the Washington Monument, USA Today reported.
But it does.
The water is ON, the Reflecting Pool is reflecting, and D.C. is looking better than ever.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 4, 2026
We are so back. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/J3xE33XiA5
And here it is at night.
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) June 5, 2026
As for the White House ballroom, an Appeals Court is set to hear arguments on whether construction can continue after a lower court attempted to shut it down. Construction is ongoing during the court battle over whether it was illegal to build without congressional approval.
"With the project surging forward, the case may serve as a test of whether courts will assert Congress’s powers to rein in Mr. Trump’s ambitions to rebuild federal Washington as much as it is an obstacle to the ballroom itself," the Times reported.
