Curtain Falls on Trump's Kennedy Center Renaming Bid as Letters Peeled Off

On the eve of Donald Trump's birthday, the Kennedy Center made headlines for a different kind of celebration: the removal of his name from its facade. After a protracted legal battle, workers physically peeled off the letters, finally restoring the iconic performing arts venue to its rightful, legally mandated title.

This wasn't a quiet affair. For weeks, the Trump administration waged an intense legal war to illegally rename the historic center "The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts." U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper shut that down fast. He cited a 1964 federal law: only Congress can change the Kennedy Center's name. No exceptions.

Despite the clear ruling, Trump's team fought for extensions, even citing "thunderstorms" for delays. But the courts weren't buying it. A three-judge appeals panel ultimately denied a last-ditch request, forcing the center's hand. As deadlines loomed, scaffolding went up. Tarps obscured the work, but New York Times photographers caught a worker literally pulling the letter "A" off by hand. The symbolic victory for those opposing the takeover was palpable.