Overview
- Workers took down President Donald Trump’s letters in the early hours of June 13, a step court filings confirm after U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered the restoration of the center’s original name.
- Large scaffolding and blue-striped tarps have remained over the site for more than a week, prompting Rep. Joyce Beatty to file a motion asking the court to order their removal and accusing trustees of using the coverings to frustrate the court’s order.
- The Kennedy Center says it will keep public access and some outreach programs after July 5 but told the court it will not reschedule shows that were canceled for the planned two-year closure.
- Guerrilla projection artists have used the tarp as a protest canvas, and activist groups leaked photos from inside the scaffolding showing the facade without Trump’s name, keeping public attention on the dispute.
- The center and the Justice Department have appealed the district court ruling to the D.C. Circuit, so the legal limits on renaming, the board’s authority, donor ties, and the center’s operational plans remain unresolved pending appellate review.