Trump’s name removed from Kennedy Center following court order

The workers have begun removing US President Donald Trump’s name from the edifice of the Kennedy Center early Saturday hours after a court-ordered Friday deadline.

Although the setup of scaffolding was established on Friday, the work did not start immediately. As a result, the Kennedy Center asked a judge to extend the deadline until noon Eastern Time on Saturday due to harsh weather conditions and thunderstorms.

In an official filing, the Kennedy Center also assured that the removal process was actively underway and would wrap up in the early morning hours.

True to their word, the workers began covering the scaffolding in tarps later that evening as they started removing Trump’s name. The crew completed the ongoing work and departed around 3:30 a.m. However, because the tarps remained in place, it was impossible to visually confirm whether every last letter had been taken down.

Even earlier on Friday afternoon, the request to pause the court-ordered deadline was filed but the judge rejected it by evening. 

Early in his second term, Donald Trump wielded greater influence and ousted the center's leadership, installed a new board of trustees, named himself chairman, and added his name to the building.

The process of removing Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center stems from the court ruling issued by US district judge Christopher Cooper. As per ruling, only Congress has the authority to change the center’s name and also blocked the administration from closing the venue for a two-year renovation.

Despite appealing the name ruling, the Kennedy Center is complying with the initial order by removing Trump's name from its website, staff emails, letterheads, and promotional materials.