WORKERS HAVE BEGUN removing Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the Kennedy Centre.
The move came hours after a court-ordered deadline to remove references to the US president from the building and other aspects of the iconic performing arts venue’s operations.
Scaffolding was erected on Friday around a section of the building in Washington, DC, that includes Trump’s name.
Shortly after midnight, the Kennedy Centre asked a judge to extend the deadline until noon Eastern Time on Saturday (5pm Irish time) because of thunderstorms that had swept through the Washington area, causing a delay.
In the filing, the Kennedy Centre offered assurance that the “removal work is presently ongoing” and would “conclude in the early hours of the morning”.
A few hours later, workers began covering the scaffolding with tarps before they eventually started taking down Trump’s name.
They packed up and left the site around 3.30am (8.30am Irish time), though the tarpaulins remained, leaving it impossible to determine if all the letters had been removed.
Dozens of people spent hours Friday on the plaza in front of the Kennedy Centre taking pictures and cheering occasionally as they broke into chants of “take it down”.
Ohio representative Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio board member who sued to have Trump’s name removed from the building, was spotted at one point on the plaza.
Earlier on Friday afternoon, a judge rejected a request to pause the court-ordered deadline. The institution appealed that ruling, an effort that was also rebuffed Friday evening.
After ignoring the Kennedy Centre for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to the White House.
Just a month into his second term, he ousted the centre’s previous leadership and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. Trump’s name was quickly added to the building.
In his ruling that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Centre’s name, US district judge Christopher Cooper also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.
The Kennedy Centre’s leadership argued in its appeal on Friday that the renovation was badly needed and accused the lower court, in terms that seemed similar to Trump’s speech patterns, of interfering in the effort.
“The District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life-threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below,” according to the appeal.
“Indeed, total collapse!”
Even as the Kennedy Centre has fought efforts to remove Trump’s name from the building, it has taken steps to comply with Judge Cooper’s initial ruling.
A 4 June memo to staff from the Kennedy Centre’s Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as “The John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Centre”.
The Kennedy Centre’s website has dropped Trump’s name. And an earlier email sent to members offering ticket packages for the 28 June Mark Twain Award for American Humour ceremony came from the Kennedy Centre without including Trump’s name.