Kennedy Center orders staff to remove Trump's name

The Kennedy Center's general counsel ordered staff on Thursday to remove President Donald Trump's name from the building by June 12, according to a memo obtained by CNN, in order to comply with a recent court order.

Employees were also instructed to immediately update some Kennedy Center documents - including email signatures and marketing materials - to remove Trump's name, according to the memo.

"To comply with this order, you must immediately change email signatures, letterhead and other documents to reflect the name such as 'The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' or 'Kennedy Center'. Other changes, such as to templates and forms, signage, brochures and website pages, must be completed no later than Friday, June 12, 2026," the attorney general wrote in the memo, which was first reported by The Washington Post.

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The directive is a blow to the president's attempt to control the performing arts center and his broader effort to leave his mark on the nation's capital. His takeover of the institution began in the early days of his second term, when he emptied the existing board and appointed loyal allies.

When asked about the memo, the White House directed CNN to Trump's Truth Social posts in response to last week's court ruling.

A federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center from temporarily closing its doors for a years-long renovation and said the board broke the law by adding Trump's name to the historic performing arts center.

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U.S. District Judge Casey Cooper concluded that the law establishing the center "makes absolutely clear that the Center must be named in honor of President Kennedy, and cannot have any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board's unilateral decision."

"Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," Cooper wrote in his 94-page opinion.

He gave authorities two weeks to remove any signage that includes Trump's name and update the website to remove all references to the names "Trump Kennedy Center" or "Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts."

Soon after the decision, Trump signaled he was moving away from his focus on the arts center, suggesting he would transfer control to Congress. (Since its founding, the Executive Branch has exercised oversight over the board of trustees, while Congress is responsible for annual appropriations for its operations and maintenance.)

"Directs the Department of Commerce to make all necessary arrangements with Congress to permit a full and complete transfer of this institution, remitting to them responsibility for its operation, maintenance and management," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social last week.

He added that although he was being treated "unfairly", he had "no interest in continuing" unless he had the "freedom" to do what he wanted to do.

The center's gift shop had recently put all "Kennedy Center" branded merchandise on sale - at 30% off before its scheduled closing. A map in the parking garage was posted with the label "Trump Kennedy Center." The production programs were stamped with "Trump".

But some of the items still did not include Trump's name, such as concession cups, banners in the grand lobby and digital tickets, which still retained the original name.

In an Oval Office appearance on Thursday, Trump revealed his latest proposed project for Washington, D.C. - what he called a "parkway" to connect the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River.

"They want to call it Alameda Trump," he told reporters. "But I don't know if I want to do it like that, but it will be beautiful."

CNN asked the White House for more details on the proposal.

Source: CNN