- Immediate changes: Remove Trump’s name from email signatures, letterhead, official forms, documents, voicemails, and similar materials right away.
- By June 12, 2026: Update outdoor and indoor signage (including parking signs), brochures/pamphlets, the website, templates, ID cards, and anywhere else the “Trump Kennedy Center,” “The Donald J. Trump Kennedy Center,” or similar branding appears. It should revert to “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”
- This stems from a federal judge’s ruling on May 29, 2026 (U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper), which found that the Kennedy Center’s board (appointed during Trump’s administration) lacked authority to add Trump’s name unilaterally. Only Congress can change the official name, as established by the law creating the center as a memorial to John F. Kennedy.
The center has indicated it plans to appeal the decision.
This has been widely reported across outlets including The New York Times, NBC News, Politico, The Washington Post, PBS, and others. Note that viral videos claiming to show the name being physically removed are AI-generated fakes.
The situation reflects ongoing legal and political tensions over the center’s governance and naming.
