Striped tarps still cover the Kennedy Center exterior Sunday after President Donald Trump’s name was taken down Saturday in compliance with a federal court order. Visitors said they came to see what remains, while the center did not explain why the coverings w
Large striped tarps remained draped over the Kennedy Center’s exterior Sunday, turning a routine visit to a famed Washington arts venue into a day of confusion and frustration.
People arrived expecting to see President Donald Trump’s name fully removed after it was taken down early Saturday morning. only to find the facade blocked from view. Stephen Caken. a New York resident visiting Washington. DC. for an internship. said he was puzzled the tarp was still up after workers removed the metal letters in compliance with a federal judge’s order. “It seems like they’re trying to just kind of take away attention from this whole charade,” Caken said.
Much of the exterior portion of the building—where the metal letters marking Trump’s name were installed in December—was covered Sunday afternoon. John Mathew Smith, a Maryland resident who made the trip to the Kennedy Center, argued that Trump was “trying to weaken America’s symbols.”
“To me, he’s trying to deface America’s symbols before he starts finishing defacing the country itself,” Smith said.
Tim Terpstra, a Washington resident who lives nearby, came back to the center for the second time this weekend hoping the tarps had come down. “It would be nice to be able to see to make sure that it is down, and no vestiges of what was up there still remain,” he said.
The Kennedy Center has not publicly explained why the tarp remained in place. The outlet said it reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment about why the tarp was still up.
The removal itself followed an appeals court decision that upheld US District Judge Christopher Cooper’s ruling that the venue acted unlawfully when it added Trump’s name to the building. The letters were removed after an appeals court declined to pause Cooper’s ruling.
The installation struck a symbolic nerve in the deep-blue city. because the Kennedy Center is named for assassinated President John F. Kennedy and has long served as a cultural hub residents have treasured. The center had taken steps last week to reverse the change in some places. but kept the president’s name on the building while it tried to stave off compliance with Cooper’s decision.
The fight began in December. when Trump’s handpicked board of trustees added his name. a move that triggered a wave of artists pulling out of performances. Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and an ex-officio trustee of the board, launched a legal challenge quickly. On Saturday. Beatty posted a celebratory video on social media of herself doing a dance popularized by Trump to “YMCA” by The Village People.
As the deadline approached. crowds gathered on Friday to watch crews set up scaffolding in front of the venue’s facade. Protestors shouted chants of “Take it down,” and at one point called the workers “heroes.” A little after 3 a.m. Saturday, workers appeared to be removing the letters, according to video shot through a small opening in the scaffolding.
Even as the Kennedy Center’s appeal is expected to play out in the coming weeks. the broader dispute over how the nation’s capital should look—and what should be emphasized there—has been simmering for months. The center’s changes took place as Trump’s second term has continued to position the venue as a platform for work that aligns with his cultural preferences: the Kennedy Center Honors in December. the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary. and last week’s final round of Trump’s national civics contest for high school students.
Beyond the arts center, Trump has reshaped parts of Washington. He paved over the White House Rose Garden to create a Mar-a-Lago-esque patio. demolished the East Wing to make room for a massive ballroom. and changed the color of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He also launched efforts to build a golf course. construct the tallest arch in the world on a traffic circle across from Arlington National Cemetery. and put a sculpture garden along the Potomac River.
Some other moves. critics say. have leaned more toward ideology than aesthetics—such as the administration’s ongoing review of the Smithsonian Institution aimed at aligning the organization with the president’s views on American history and culture. In Washington. the administration has reinstalled a controversial Confederate monument. and at the memorial of George Mason. it has removed references to the fact that he “paradoxically” owned slaves despite being a champion of “individual rights.”.
Kennedy Center Trump name removal Christopher Cooper federal court order appeals court tarps Washington DC Joyce Beatty Joyce Beatty YMCA John F. Kennedy arts venue
Wait so they took his name down but still tarp it?? that’s kinda dumb.
Sounds like a whole mess for nothing. If it’s a court order then just finish the job, right? I don’t get why they’d leave it covered all weekend.
Tarp still on means it’s not really removed, like they’re hiding it on purpose. Courts order one thing but then they drag it out, typical. Also people acting like this is “weakening symbols”… it’s literally just letters on a building, chill.
I saw the headline and thought they were just messing with tourists for clicks. Like why would you cover the whole front after taking letters off, unless they’re trying to keep people from seeing the “damage” or whatever. But then again maybe they’re repairing the wall? Idk, the article didn’t really explain, just said “no comment.”