Trump's Name Removed From Kennedy Center

The name of US President Donald Trump has been removed from the Kennedy Center building in Washington, less than six months after it was added, following a court ruling that the performing arts landmark cannot be renamed without congressional approval.

Work began shortly after midnight on Saturday, hours after the Justice Department announced it would miss a court-imposed deadline to remove the name. The department had asked for a 12-hour extension, arguing that storms could threaten worker safety. Neither the presiding judge nor the appeals court had granted the government's request for a stay of the injunction.

The Kennedy Center's board of trustees, which Trump chairs, voted in December to rename the institution the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Workers began installing Trump's name the following day.

The lawsuit that resulted in the name's removal was filed by Democratic congresswoman Joyce Beatty. US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled on 29 May that only Congress has the authority to rename the center. His order included removing Trump's name from the façade, website and other materials.

The Kennedy Center opened in 1971 as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. Neither the White House nor the Kennedy Center immediately responded to requests for comment.

(reuters, max)