The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has complied with a federal court order to remove former President Donald Trump’s name from its facade, marking the end of an unusual chapter in the institution’s history. On Saturday, Matt Floca, the center’s executive director and chief operating officer, confirmed in a court filing that all physical signage bearing Trump’s name had been taken down from the building and its grounds, including the front portico.

Despite the removal, a tarp currently obscures the building’s original name, “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” leaving onlookers unable to view the signage until the covering is taken down. A reporter peering through a small opening in the tarp observed that the letters spelling Trump’s name were no longer attached to the structure.

The Kennedy Center’s leadership had resisted the court’s directive to strip Trump’s name, making multiple unsuccessful attempts to delay compliance, including seeking extensions after severe thunderstorms hit Washington. Two federal courts rejected the center’s last-minute appeals before the deadline to remove the name at noon on Saturday.

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex officio board member who initiated legal action to remove Trump’s name from the venue, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “The rule of law prevailed, and that is worth celebrating,” she said, calling the decision a step toward returning the Kennedy Center to the American public.

The removal closes a notable sequence of events that began after Trump took office for a second term in January 2025. Shortly after his inauguration, Trump replaced the Kennedy Center’s leadership with a new board of trustees that appointed him chairman. The president’s name was then added to the institution’s exterior, a move met with controversy given the center’s traditional nonpartisan identity and its dedication to the late Democratic President John F. Kennedy.

While losing this symbolic imprint on the Kennedy Center, Trump continues to pursue significant alterations to Washington’s physical landscape. Among ongoing projects are the demolition of the White House East Wing to make way for a new ballroom, renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and plans for a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. These efforts have sparked debate regarding public access and historic preservation.

As the Kennedy Center moves forward, uncertainties remain about its operational future. The same court ruling that mandated the removal of Trump’s name also blocked a planned two-year closure for renovations scheduled to begin in July. The center has reduced staffing substantially and has limited performances planned beyond late June, including scheduled runs of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Bluey’s Big Play,” as well as a June 28 ceremony honoring comedian Bill Maher with the Mark Twain Award for American Humor.

Frustrated by the court’s order, Kennedy Center leadership has suggested that the institution might face prolonged closure, citing urgent structural concerns such as rusted beams and parking garage ceilings that they warn pose safety risks. In its appeal opposing the removal order, the center implied the name might be reinstated if it prevails in future legal challenges.

Amid these developments, the South Lawn of the White House has been repurposed for a UFC event celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, coinciding with Trump’s birthday, underscoring the ongoing reshaping of symbolic spaces during his presidency.