Trump's Name May Stay on Kennedy Center Past Friday Deadline
byPhilip Wang
Jun 12, 2026 9:56 AM MT
President Donald Trump’s name remained affixed to the Kennedy Center on Friday, the deadline a federal judge had set for the letters to be taken down. Prospects are dimming that the status quo will change before this weekend, according to a person with knowledge of the legal fight.
On Thursday evening, the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center appealed a ruling that ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the center’s building and the center’s online materials and accounts by Friday. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper previously ruled that only Congress, not the Board, has the authority to change the center’s name. In recent days, Trump’s name had been removed from the center’s official website, voicemail and YouTube channel.
In the filing, the Kennedy Center said the court should grant a stay of the judge’s order, because it has “strong arguments to raise on appeal,” and that removing Trump’s name would be
“both wasteful for the Center and confusing for the public.” (Emphasis mine - Rob)
"Confusing for the public"? The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 and Trump just slapped his name on it
six months ago. I'm pretty sure people will have no trouble adapting to the center reverting to its original name.
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