The Kennedy Center has begun removing references to Donald Trump from its digital presence, complying with a federal judge's directive that bars the performing arts venue from bearing the president's name.
The venue took down Trump-related text from its website on Monday, ahead of a June 12 deadline set by the center's general counsel for completing the removal across all platforms. An internal memo, first reported by the Washington Post, instructed employees to immediately update email signatures, letterheads, and official documents to reflect only "The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" or "Kennedy Center."
The physical signage at the Washington DC location still displayed the dual name as of Monday afternoon, though the deadline applies to internal documents, forms, templates, brochures, and web pages.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper issued the order last month, ruling that the Kennedy Center's founding statute explicitly designates it as a memorial to President Kennedy and prohibits any formal name change without congressional action. "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," Cooper wrote in his 94-page decision.
The ruling also addressed Trump's broader agenda at the venue. Cooper temporarily blocked a planned summer renovation and closure that would have shuttered the center for two years as part of a $257 million "revitalization project" approved by Trump's handpicked board members.
Trump responded with a lengthy statement on social media last month, declaring he had no interest in pursuing what he called a "hopeless journey into NEVER NEVER LAND." He has not publicly commented on the website removal itself.
Author James Rodriguez: "The judge was clear and the law was clear, yet the compliance dance still takes weeks to fully execute across every corner of the building."
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