Trump's name is gone from the Kennedy Center, at least according to the venue's top official. Matt Floca, executive director and chief operating officer of the performing arts venue, told a federal court Saturday that the institution had complied with a court order to remove the president's name from the building's facade.
According to a report by Billboard, Floca said in a filing that the board of trustees and the center had removed "all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds, including the front portico, that purports to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump."
Whether anyone outside the building could actually confirm that was a different matter. A tarp hung over the scaffolding used to carry out the work, making it nearly impossible for people gathered outside to see what had changed. A reporter was able to peer through a slight gap in the tarp and saw that the letters of Trump's name were no longer on the building. It remained unclear when the tarp would come down to reveal the original lettering: "The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts."
The Kennedy Center's leadership had resisted the order until the end. Two courts rejected the institution's requests to keep Trump's name in place while an appeal was pending. After severe thunderstorms hit Washington on Friday evening, the center sought one more extension before complying with a noon Saturday deadline.
Those pushing for the name's removal were openly celebrating. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and an ex officio member of the board, had sued to remove references to the president from the building and the center's operations. She was spotted in the plaza Friday night and Saturday morning. She posted a video to social media that appeared to show her performing the "Trump dance" in one of the Kennedy Center's great halls.
"Today's victory is the beginning of returning the Kennedy Center to the American people," Beatty said in a statement. "The rule of law prevailed, and that is worth celebrating."
Not everyone outside had strong feelings about the outcome. Leo Bartholomaus, a recent graduate of Syracuse University who lives in Virginia, said he had walked by the Kennedy Center on Friday after visiting the National Mall for events related to a weekend UFC match at the White House. He said he was not pleased when Trump added his name to the building.
"My grandmother had a big love of the arts," he said. "I've been here to see The Lion King. I wasn't a fan of Donald Trump putting his name on it. I thought it was better as the Kennedy Center."
The Kennedy Center began construction in 1964 and was dedicated to the memory of President John F. Kennedy. The removal of Trump's name closes what has been one of the more unusual chapters in the building's history.
