Listen
Media Options
Listen
President Donald Trump’s name has been removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., after a judge ordered its addition was illegal. The Kennedy Center’s board, which was handpicked by Trump, voted to add Trump’s name to the center late last year. The battle over the Kennedy Center’s name comes during a broader push by Trump to overhaul the institution, which is closed for “renovations” amid mass cancellations by artists.
“We, the American people, have rarely been afforded the decency of a public conversation or process,” says Marc Bamuthi Joseph, who was fired from his role as vice president and artistic director of the Kennedy Center’s Social Impact initiative in March 2025. “There were no procedural protocols in the affixing of this person’s name on a national memorial, and so … this does feel like a small victory for the rule of law.”
The removal of Trump’s name “really does mean something. We have been fighting for it since it went up in December,” says Mallory Miller, who was fired from her job as assistant manager of dance programming at the Kennedy Center in August 2025. Miller is the co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, which has been rallying outside the Kennedy Center every week. “This is just the first step in rebuilding the trust that has been lost,” says Miller, pointing out that Trump “is still the boss” at the Kennedy Center and that workers at the center are still being fired.
Guests
Marc Bamuthi Joseph
renowned artist and playwright, fired from his role as vice president and artistic director of the Kennedy Center’s Social Impact initiative in March 2025.
Mallory Miller
co-founder of Hands off the Arts, fired from her job as assistant manager of dance programming at the Kennedy Center.
Please check back later for full transcript.
The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License . Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.
Read the full article at Democracy Now! →📄Source document: Federal Court Ruling on Trump's Name Addition→2 reports
Democracy Now!IndependentLeft5 days agoPresident Donald Trump's name has been removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts following a court ruling that its inclusion was unlawful. The Kennedy Center's board, appointed by Trump, had previously voted to add his name to the institution. This decision occurs amid ongoing efforts by Trump to restructure the Kennedy Center, which has been closed for renovations and faced widespread artist cancellations. Marc Bamuthi Joseph, formerly the vice president and artistic director of the Kennedy Center's Social Impact initiative, comments on the lack of transparency in the naming of
Bias read (Left): The article frames the removal of Trump's name as a 'small victory for the rule of law' and highlights the lack of procedural transparency in adding his name to a national memorial. It emphasizes the actions of individuals fired from the Kennedy Center and their advocacy group, 'Hands Off the Arts,'
The HillIndependentLeft7 days agoRep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) praised the decision to remove former President Donald Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, calling it a significant moment for democracy and the rule of law.
Bias read (Left): The article presents Rep. Garcia's statement, which frames the removal of Trump's name as a positive development for 'democracy and the rule of law.' This framing aligns with progressive values and implies criticism of Trump's legacy without presenting counterarguments or alternative perspectives.
Official sources cited
- government Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.)
United States