Arabic version: إزالة اسم ترامب من مركز كينيدي بعد حكم المحكمة

Workers have begun the process of removing former President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center in Washington, a day after the court deadline for its removal. The removal commenced shortly after the court’s deadline for the action, which was set for June 12.

According to BBC News, crews erected scaffolding on Friday, but thunderstorms delayed the removal work until early Saturday morning. The judge’s ruling from late May stated that the venue, designated as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy, cannot be renamed without congressional approval.

Onlookers gathered to witness the removal, some chanting “take it down” as workers obscured the letters with long plastic sheeting. The Trump administration had made a last-minute attempt to pause the removal order, but this was rejected by the judge.

The legal dispute over the Kennedy Center’s name is part of a broader context involving the former president’s rebranding efforts in the nation’s capital. In February 2025, he replaced several trustees on the center’s board and appointed himself as a trustee before being voted in as the chairman of the arts center.