Here's Why Trump's Name Is Still on the Kennedy Center A lot happened overnight--but not the removal of the sign.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

News & Politics
Here’s Why Trump’s Name Is Still on the Kennedy Center

A lot happened overnight—but not the removal of the sign.

Written by Sylvie McNamara | Published on June 12, 2026

Yesterday afternoon, preparations seemed to be underway to scrub Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center’s facade: Fencing had appeared around the lettering, and rumors were flying of a dark-of-night removal, one that would comply with the recent court ruling that declared the renaming illegal. But as media and onlookers gathered around the building’s steps, hoping to witness the sign removal, the saga of the Trump-addled Kennedy Center took another odd turn; at a 4 PM meeting, members of the Kennedy Center’s board voted to appeal the court order. They intend to keep Trump’s name. As of Friday morning, the sign is still there, though the judge ordered that it come down by tonight.

But what are the grounds of this appeal? And what happens if the sign stays up in defiance of the judge’s deadline? The court order also mandated that the Kennedy Center stay open, so what is the status of that? The litigation surrounding the Kennedy Center has lately been ferocious and confounding, so here’s an attempt to answer these questions and more. This information is current as of Friday morning, June 12—but as we’ve been seeing, things can change fast.

{snip}

[underpants]

1. So the board of Trump cronies waited until the last minute

to vote to appeal. Did they file in court or is their vote enough for them?

[Bayard]

2. I'm sure many good citizens would volunteer to take a crowbar to it

[underpants]

6. 👋 raises hand

[mdbl]

3. Unless an appeals court puts a pause on it,,,,

Let the removal commence. The board members are just a bunch of sycophantic assholes hell-bent on ruining that entire institution in the name of a convicted felon.

[underpants]

5. Exactly. There was a court ordered date which was yesterday

[Yonnie3]

4. Plaintiffs in the Trump - Kennedy Center case file opposition brief to the appeal

This post on X links to a five page pdf document

I understand the 47's name has been removed from the shuttle buses and from the front page of the center's website.

Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. The trump DOJ is using the illegal renaming of the Dept. of Defense to justify renaming Kennedy Center

Hegseth's still renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War is being used to justify the renaming of the Kennedy Center. This is such a weak legal argument that it made me smile

Link to tweet

[eggplant]

8. In the meantime, hang a cloth over his name.

In some ways it is worse.

[Rob H.]

9. Damn it, 'Time' magazine just a bit ago:

Trump's Name May Stay on Kennedy Center Past Friday Deadline
byPhilip Wang
Jun 12, 2026 9:56 AM MT

President Donald Trump’s name remained affixed to the Kennedy Center on Friday, the deadline a federal judge had set for the letters to be taken down. Prospects are dimming that the status quo will change before this weekend, according to a person with knowledge of the legal fight.

On Thursday evening, the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center appealed a ruling that ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the center’s building and the center’s online materials and accounts by Friday. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper previously ruled that only Congress, not the Board, has the authority to change the center’s name. In recent days, Trump’s name had been removed from the center’s official website, voicemail and YouTube channel.

In the filing, the Kennedy Center said the court should grant a stay of the judge’s order, because it has “strong arguments to raise on appeal,” and that removing Trump’s name would be “both wasteful for the Center and confusing for the public.” (Emphasis mine - Rob)

"Confusing for the public"? The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 and Trump just slapped his name on it six months ago. I'm pretty sure people will have no trouble adapting to the center reverting to its original name.

[Envirogal]

10. The enabling Board members need to be publicly called out.

Laura Ingrahm, you’re on deck.