Trump's Trials - Shrouded from view, Trump's name removed from Kennedy Center

Episode Date: June 15, 2026

President Trump's name no longer adorns the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. after a court ordered it removed from the building and the organization's website. NPR's Debbie Elliot reports. Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

You're listening to Trump's terms. I'm Scott Detrow. The president has both an ability and a willingness to use the power of his office, to think outside the box. Nobody makes a better deal than President Trump. We're going to do better and better and better. Nobody can believe what they're watching. Every episode, we bring you one story from NPR's recent coverage of the 47th president. With a focus on ways his administration is pushing the boundaries of presidential power.

Here's the latest from NPR. I mean Martinez. The UFC fight of the White House is just one way President Trump is trying to leave his mark on the nation's capital. But after losing a court battle, workers over the weekend removed his name from the exterior of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the performing arts. Here's NPR's Debbie Elliott. The curtain is literally down on the facade of the Kennedy Center. TARPs went up pre-dawn Saturday to shield the operation as workers took down the big letters. spelling Donald J. Trump in compliance with a court order.

They should never have been up in the first place. Teacher Monica Brooks Murphy remember seeing Mikhail Berishnikov perform in a ballet here when she was a child. She says she wanted to see the center restored to being named solely for President John F. Kennedy. It's a memorial for a dear president that died. You know, it's like putting his name on his grave. It's bizarre.

Trump had purged the Kennedy Center's board, replacing it with allies. It then added his name to the title of the organization about six months ago. Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty sued and won. A D.C. federal judge ruled, quote, Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and only Congress can change it. The Center lost an appeal on Friday, and the next day its director told the court that Trump's name had been removed from all physical signage. its website, and other materials. But the Trump administration has further appeals pending. The Kennedy Center and the White House did not immediately respond to NPR's inquiries.

Mallory Miller used to work in dance programming at the Kennedy Center and was among the workers fired after Trump's trustees took over. She's since co-founded an organization called Hands Off the Arts. It's monumental, literally, pun intended. to have the letters come off of this monument. But it's only the beginning of rebuilding the trust that has been broken here. The grounds of the Kennedy Center were quiet on Sunday afternoon where blue-striped tarps remain draped over the building's marble facade. So even though Trump's name is gone, you can't see that.

Debbie Elliott, NPR News. And before we wrap up, a thank you to our NPR Plus supporters who hear each show without sponsored messages, and, of course, who help protect independent journalism. If you are not a supporter yet, you can visit plus.npr.org to find out how you can get a ton of podcast perks across dozens of NPR shows, like bonus episodes, exclusive merchandise, and more. Again, that's plus.npr.org.

I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's Terms from NPR.