Trump’s Name Removed from Kennedy Center Facade

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WASHINGTON — Recent photographs of the Kennedy Center show that the name of President Donald Trump has been removed from the building’s facade. This follows a lengthy court dispute and the recent addition of a tarp, which conceals the change from public view. The tarp and scaffolding went up on June 13, a day after a federal judge’s deadline to take down Trump’s name from the iconic arts center.

Mallory Miller, a former employee of the Kennedy Center and co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, the group that provided the photos to NBC News, believes the tarp aims to protect Trump’s ego. Miller stated that the Trump administration likely wishes to avoid seeing the building without his name on it while appeals are underway.

The Kennedy Center has not commented on why the tarp and scaffolding remain days after the removal.

The building was named the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by Congress in 1964. Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the naming bill in January.

The signage altered in December to read: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts” followed a decision by Trump’s appointed board to add his name.

A federal judge, however, deemed that the board lacked authority for such changes, asserting that Congress alone could rename the center. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on May 29: “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”

The continued presence of the tarp has raised inquiries about its purpose and whether it’s specifically meant to obscure Trump’s name removal. An official of the Kennedy Center informed Judge Cooper on June 13 of the removal of all Trump references from both their online presence and the building.

Miller, who worked in the artistic programming department, attributes the change to collective effort. She remarked, “Trump believed he could lay claim to a notable arts and culture venue. We’re pushing back and showing he can’t.”