OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:32 PM – Tuesday, June 9, 2026
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has begun systematically removing President Donald Trump’s name from its digital platforms, including its official website and YouTube channel. The digital scrub follows a strict internal directive issued by the center’s general counsel, giving staff until a Friday deadline to comply with a recent federal court order.
However, his name currently remains on the venue’s Instagram, Facebook and social platform X accounts, The Hill reported.
As of Monday afternoon, the institution’s primary website and YouTube page no longer feature the “Trump” branding that had been prominently displayed for months, reverting instead to the venue’s original, legally mandated title. However, the president’s name remains visible on several of the venue’s other social media profiles, and the physical signage mounted on the iconic building’s facade has yet to be dismantled.
This rapid administrative reversal comes in the wake of a May 29th ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who determined that the venue’s board of trustees had acted unlawfully. The legal battle began after the board voted to rebrand the historic venue as “The Trump Kennedy Center.”
Representative Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex officio board member, filed a lawsuit challenging the decision after she was muted during the virtual meeting where the vote took place. Judge Cooper ultimately sided with the plaintiff, writing in an opinion that Congress was “crystal clear” when it established the venue in 1964 as a living memorial to the assassinated Democrat president.
The court ruled that since the institution was named by federal statute, “only Congress possesses the legal authority to alter its name.” The initial rebranding had sparked backlash from the left-wing arts community and the Kennedy family, who argued that adding Trump’s name “desecrated a national monument.”
In response to the court-ordered removal, Trump expressed his frustration on Truth Social, criticizing the judiciary and arguing the board had renamed the building to revitalize a “dying institution.” Meanwhile, Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi stated that while the organization is fully complying with the judicial order, it is actively evaluating all legal options to preserve President Trump’s leadership and revitalization efforts.
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