When a board packed with Donald Trump’s allies voted in December to add the president’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the transformation happened almost immediately. By the following morning, crews had worked quickly to fasten 18 letters to the institution’s marble facade. Now that work is being quietly dismantled.
In a memo obtained by The Atlantic, the Kennedy Center’s lawyers today directed employees to remove references to the center being named for anyone other than President John F. Kennedy. The note seems to suggest that Trump will accept a judge’s recent order to remove his name from the center.
“This includes email signatures, email communications, letterhead, website, brochures, promotional materials, press releases, signs, references in contracts, MOUs, and other agreements, and every other reference to the ‘Trump Kennedy Center,’ the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, or similar name,” read the email, which I obtained.
Less than a week ago, a federal judge ordered the institution to remove all references suggesting the center had been renamed for Trump within 14 days, restoring its formal title as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
“The Court ruled that the Board acted beyond its authority in adding President Trump’s name to the Center and gave the Center 14 days from May 29 to remove all references to the Center being named for anyone other than John F. Kennedy,” lawyers informed staff.
The memo offers the clearest sign yet that the institution intends to comply with the ruling, despite the board’s aggressive efforts in recent months to rebrand the center under Trump’s leadership.
It also broke down guidance for each department’s responsibilities in complying with the order. Those working in development, campus planning, and archives, for instance, were instructed to immediately update templates, agreements, forms, and policies. Meanwhile, facilities and marketing were given a deadline of June 12 to update all physical and digital signage.
The memo also addressed the judge’s second ruling, which issued a preliminary injunction to halt the center’s plans for shutting down the institution this summer. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper found that board members lacked sufficient information to make an informed decision about the closure, but stopped short of ordering the building to remain open or halting renovations altogether.
“The Court did not rule that the Center must stay open during the renovations, and did not require that the Center present any particular programming on-site during the renovations,” the memo read. “The Center is considering its options and will provide further guidance shortly.”
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