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People walk past a sign bearing U.S. President Donald Trump’s name at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on the 7th (local time). / AP-Yonhap

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., has begun removing U.S. President Donald Trump’s name from its facilities in compliance with a court order, the Washington Post reported on the 8th (local time).

According to the report, the decision follows a ruling by a U.S. federal district court in Washington, which found that changing the Kennedy Center’s name without congressional approval was unlawful.

On the 29th of last month, Judge Christopher Cooper of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., ruled that “the Kennedy Center’s name was conferred by Congress, and only Congress has the authority to change it.”

The ruling is based on legislation passed after the 1964 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which designated the center as a “living memorial” and gave it its official name.

The board determined that adding President Trump’s name exceeded its legal authority.

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Souvenirs bearing U.S. President Donald Trump’s name are displayed at a gift shop at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on the 5th (local time). / AFP

The Kennedy Center removed President Donald Trump’s name from its official website and YouTube channel on the same day. However, his name still appears on some social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter).

According to the Washington Post, merchandise bearing Trump’s name is still being sold at the building’s exterior and in the gift shop.

A court has ordered that Trump’s name be removed from all signage by the 12th. Accordingly, the Kennedy Center must eliminate all references to his name, including those on the building’s exterior, by the deadline.

Trump has been actively involved in the management of the Kennedy Center since the launch of his second administration in January last year.

He replaced a large portion of the existing board and appointed himself chair. The board unanimously approved adding Trump’s name to the center’s title in December last year.

                                                                                                              Park Jin-suk