President Donald Trump endured yet another public setback in the courts.
The 80-year-old figure, described here in stinging terms, had aimed to keep his name displayed on a Washington, DC cultural landmark, but a federal appeals court has blocked the move once again.
In 2025, signage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was altered to read “Donald J. Trump.”
Ticket sales plummeted, and a number of performers canceled their scheduled dates in protest of Trump’s aggressive takeover of the Kennedy Center.
Lawsuits were also filed to remove his name from the site that serves as a memorial to John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, who was assassinated while in office in 1963.
In May, U.S. District Judge Christopher R. “Casey” Cooper ruled the rebranding was illegal without congressional authorization.
He also blocked Trump’s planned two-year shutdown of the Kennedy Center for renovations.
A work crew eventually finished chiseling Trump’s name off the facade of the Kennedy Center on June 13.
The event occurred hours after officials missed the court-ordered midnight deadline, despite an extension due to thunderstorms.
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Scaffolding and tarps now surround the Kennedy Center, adding to the ongoing drama. Accusations that Trump was acting out of spite began circulating.
Then, on July 8, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit again rejected Trump’s request to halt the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center in the latest defeat for the president.
The three-judge panel denied a motion for a stay pending appeal. They argued that Trump’s legal team failed to demonstrate that removing his name would cause him irreparable harm.
JUST IN: Workers have begun removing Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center.
Earlier today, a judge denied the Kennedy Center board’s request to pause a ruling that requires Trump’s name to be removed from the building. pic.twitter.com/5DeGRy7nxg— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) June 12, 2026
Trump also failed to persuade the federal appeals court that the Center would suffer “financial harm” unless the board reinstated his name.
Even the argument that the newly founded Trump Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Foundation would have difficulty fundraising did not move the judges to side with the president.
“Keep Trump off [the] Kennedy Center! He makes everything cheap and gaudy!” exclaimed one critic of the commander-in-chief on X. A second declared, “He has done nothing to deserve such an honor. Pathetic.”
“Why is he clinging to the Kennedy Center like a dog with a bone? Couldn’t his adoring supporters build him his own center with all the money they’re pouring into this embarrassing LOSING battle?” asked one observer.
An amused commenter added, “Keep losing, Trump.” Likewise, a Trump detractor blasted the former host of The Apprentice by remarking, “Geez, this guy is such an embarrassing loser.”
“His name and takeover literally ruined it,” lamented one X user. Another urged, “Take down the tarps.”
The renaming attempt at the Kennedy Center formed part of a broader push by Trump to leave a lasting imprint on the nation’s capital by giving several famous landmarks a makeover in his own image.
A $14 million restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool concluded with green algae overrunning the water. Fences also blocked public access to the National Mall, a popular destination.
Trump also razed the East Wing of the White House to make way for a new ballroom. The project is projected to cost between $400 million and $600 million. He reportedly filled the Oval Office with gold-toned trinkets and ornate trim along the walls.
Further, additional exterior remodeling appears to be underway at the White House. Online footage showed printed tarps covering the Executive Residence in early July.
There has been speculation that Trump aims to upgrade the White House’s Ionic columns to a Capitol-style Corinthian design. He also proposed constructing a 250-foot “Arc de Trump” near the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
