▲ The Kennedy Center installs a screen on the building's exterior after removing the name of President Donald Trump.
The Kennedy Center, a hub for performing arts in Washington, D.C., has removed the name of President Donald Trump from its building.
According to U.S. media outlets including The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 13th (local time), the Kennedy Center removed the name of President Trump from the building's exterior and deleted the name from its website on that day.
Previously, the Kennedy Center board of trustees, chaired by President Trump, had voted last year to add President Trump's name before that of former President John F. Kennedy.
However, a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives filed a lawsuit in opposition to the measure.
While the Kennedy Center board argued that the new name, "Trump Kennedy Center," was merely a nickname, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia put a stop to the board's action.
Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that "only Congress has the authority to change the name of the Kennedy Center," and ordered the removal of President Trump's name from the building, as well as from the website and various signs.
The Kennedy Center attempted to stay the execution of the ruling through an appeal just before the deadline for removal, but the court dismissed the request.
Consequently, workers hired by the Kennedy Center removed the letters from the building's exterior overnight.
Hundreds of citizens gathered at the scene to watch the removal process, with some chanting, "Take it down."
The process was also broadcast live via the internet.
The Kennedy Center was established after the U.S. Congress passed a bill in memory of former President Kennedy immediately following his assassination in 1963, which was then signed into law by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Before the name change, its official name was the "John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts."
Although a significant number of the Kennedy Center's board members are appointed by the incumbent president, the board has traditionally maintained a balance between the ruling and opposition parties.
However, President Trump, who has engaged in a "culture war" against progressives, replaced 18 board members appointed by his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, shortly after taking office last year and assumed the role of board chair himself.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.