Name Donald Trump was officially removed from the Kennedy Center's name following a federal court ruling that the rebranding was illegal.
Workers removed the president's name from the facade of a Washington theater at dawn on June 13, less than six months after it was painted on the building.
The billionaire tycoon's name became associated with the institution in December after its board of directors unanimously voted to rename the site the Trump-Kennedy Center.
However, a judge recently ordered Trump's name removed, ruling that the change violated the 1964 federal law that established the center.
Donald Trump's name was removed from Kennedy Center signs overnight.
Workers began removing Trump's name from Kennedy Center signs early on June 13, following a court order requiring the institution to restore its original name.
According to USA Today, crews arrived in Washington, D.C., on June 12, erected scaffolding, and later began removing the graffiti from the building's facade. The removal occurred after the Justice Department failed to secure a last-minute stay of enforcement and after the court-ordered deadline for removing Trump's name expired.
Employees have been ordered to remove Trump's name from official materials.
According to The New York Times, several days before the physical removal of Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sign, the decision was already being implemented internally.
An internal memo obtained by the publication showed that the center's general counsel instructed staff to immediately remove Trump's name from official symbols and communications.
This included updating social media accounts, email signatures, voicemail messages, websites, identification cards and parking signs.
Employees were also ordered to change indoor and outdoor signage and other Trump-related materials.
The urgency of this move was apparently determined by the deadlines specified in the judge's ruling, which ordered the center to restore the previous status quo within two weeks.
Donald Trump's rebranding of the Kennedy Center has met with resistance.
The initial decision to add Trump's name to the building drew criticism from some observers and ultimately prompted Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty to file a lawsuit seeking to overturn the change.
Beatty argued that the board, which reportedly consisted largely of Trump appointees and supporters, did not have the authority to unilaterally rename an institution whose name was determined by Congress.
In her lawsuit, she also challenged Trump's proposal to close the center for two years for renovations, including the rationale for that plan.
Beatty also pointed to declining ticket sales and the departure of many artists after Trump took over the institution, seemingly arguing that his name only worsened the situation at the Kennedy Center.
A judge has ruled that Donald Trump's rebranding violated federal law.
Ultimately, much of Beatty's argument was supported by Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court in Washington, who laid out his position in a 94-page opinion issued late last month.
Judge Cooper found that the name change violated a 1964 federal law that established the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and as a symbol of America's commitment to the arts.
The judge said the law clearly states that "the Kennedy Center is to be named in honor of President Kennedy and is intended to honor his memory.".
He also said any attempt to change the institution's name would require congressional approval, as only Congress has the power to amend the law governing the center.
Donald Trump threatens to withdraw from Kennedy Center controversy.
Judge Cooper's decision infuriated Trump, who expressed his displeasure on his platform, Truth Social.
He said the judge should be "ashamed of himself" for blocking his plans for the facility, arguing that Cooper would rather let the center fall into disrepair than turn it into something "everyone could be proud of.".
The billionaire tycoon then announced his decision to step down completely from the leadership of the institution, saying he "cannot be complicit in a situation where a danger to society is thriving in plain sight.".
«"If I don't have the opportunity to do what I do best—revive this institution physically, financially, and artistically," the real estate mogul added, "I have no desire to continue this hopeless journey to Wonderland.".
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