Trump's Name Wiped From Kennedy Center Exterior Following Court Ruling

President Donald Trump’s name has officially been removed from the exterior of Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center.

Kennedy Center executive director and chief operating officer Matt Floca told a federal judge over the weekend that the institution has complied with an order to remove Trump’s name from the venue’s facade. Floca noted in a filing that the institution officially removed “all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds, including the front portico, that purports to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump.”

Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat on the board of trustees who said she was prevented from voting against the name change which led to a unanimous approval, was among those celebrating the removal of Trump’s name from the center. Beatty noted in a statement that “today’s victory is the beginning of returning the Kennedy Center to the American people.”

“The rule of law prevailed, and that is worth celebrating,” Beatty said.

The name removal follows a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper, noting that the Kennedy Center board violated the law when they added Trump’s name to the venue’s exterior, as well as its website and marketing materials. Cooper pointed to a 1964 law that named the national cultural center after the recently assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

The Obama-appointed judge wrote on May 29 that Trump’s administration must “remove all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds, including the front portico, that purports to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump or any other individual besides President Kennedy” within two weeks. The administration also was ordered to remove the center’s website and other material that references the attempted renaming of the center to “The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

Additionally, officials at the center were told to submit a sworn declaration that they are complying with the order.

Since Trump took over the center — installing himself as chairman, firing the president to replace with a longtime loyalist, and changing the name — the venue has faced a slew of cancellations. Nearly 20 acts have cancelled performances at the venue, with many citing worries of the venue’s direction under Trump’s leadership. Then, Trump announced the venue would close for two years to undergo renovations.

Despite its closure, set to take place on July 4, former Kennedy Center president Ric Grenell previously assured that the annual Kennedy Center Honors would still move forward. The program, dubbed “The Trump Kennedy Center Honors” will commence at an outside, smaller venue, though no further details have been announced at this time.