In the early hours of Saturday, a crew removed the letters bearing former President Donald J. Trump’s name from the exterior of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., following a court order. Although the signage was taken down around 3 a.m., as of Monday afternoon, the letters’ absence remained obscured by scaffolding and tarps that continue to cover the building’s facade. The Kennedy Center’s security personnel have guarded the area since the removal.

The dismantling took place after a crowd of more than 200 demonstrators had gathered outside the center, chanting for the Trump name to be taken down. By the time the letters were pried off, the crowd had thinned to roughly a dozen. Despite interest from tourists and local residents eager to see the restored facade, the building’s exterior remains hidden.

Roma Daravi, a spokeswoman for the Kennedy Center, said the scaffolding and covering will remain while crews assess damage to the marble exterior and undertake repairs to the underside of the overhanging roof, a process for which no completion date has been provided.

Visitors have maintained a near-constant presence at the site since the removal began, many expressing frustration at the ongoing concealment. Laura Bligh, a longtime Washington resident, has been stationed outside the center for over a week, eager to witness the restoration for herself. She dismissed concerns about potential damage caused by the removal, remarking that the building’s imperfections could serve as “battle scars.”

Similarly, Suzanne Spiekerman, visiting from California, underscored the desire of many to see the physical changes firsthand. She noted her repeated daily visits since the court deadline, expressing disappointment each time she found the facade still covered and voicing uncertainty over the delay in removing the tarp.

Some observers interpreted the continued covering as a symbolic gesture. Pamela Iden, visiting from Michigan, viewed the tarp as a defiant statement, suggesting that by concealing the area, the center effectively left the facade nameless rather than displaying a replacement. She regarded the original addition of Trump’s name, which was associated with a congressional funding package of $257 million for the center’s repairs, as misplaced, emphasizing that the dedication was intended to honor John F. Kennedy—not a sitting president.

Carmen Chávez, visiting from Miami, characterized the tarp as emblematic of what she described as former President Trump’s egocentrism in affixing his name to a national monument despite public opposition. Though she had not visited the Kennedy Center prior to the signage change, she hopes to return once the covering is removed.

The Kennedy Center has announced plans to appeal the court order, maintaining that the inclusion of Trump’s name was a bipartisan acknowledgment of his contributions to the institution’s renovation. Meanwhile, no timeline has been announced for the removal of the scaffolding and tarps, leaving onlookers without visual confirmation of the center’s restored appearance.

The ongoing situation has sparked a range of emotions but hinges on a shared human impulse: the desire to witness the transformation with one’s own eyes and to make tangible what legal and political actions have set in motion.