• A federal court ordered the removal of Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, deeming the renaming unlawful.
• Workers began the removal process early Saturday morning, shortly after thunderstorms delayed the operation.
• Crowds gathered outside the venue, celebrating as the removal commenced.
• Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that only Congress can rename the cultural institution.
• The Kennedy Center's renovations are now blocked pending further legal developments.

Workers have begun removing the name of United States President Donald Trump from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. following a court ruling that deemed the renaming unlawful. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that only Congress has the authority to approve such changes, thereby setting a 14-day deadline for the removal which coincided with a failed last-minute appeal from the center's board. The Kennedy Center's leadership had argued that the removal was improperly timed and could hinder essential renovations needed for the building's structural integrity, as reported by Al Jazeera and Channel News Asia.

Initially, workers struggled to begin the removal process due to thunderstorms that posed safety risks; however, crews started the operation early Saturday morning by erecting scaffolding and obscuring the work behind tarps. This was in compliance with the ruling which criticized the “perpetuation of unlawful governmental action” noted by Cooper. Enthusiastic crowds gathered outside, cheering "take it down" as the name's removal progressed, according to SCMP and India Times.

The ongoing legal tussle culminated in a last-minute extension request from the Kennedy Center on the grounds of inclement weather, further complicating the proceedings. Judge Cooper reiterating that the name change was illegal struck a blow to Trump's efforts to embed his branding into official institutions, a move viewed as an unprecedented break from American political tradition, reports BBC and LA Times.

Ultimately, after significant public interest and drama surrounding the name removal, it was confirmed that all related signage had been taken down from the building after crews worked diligently to comply with the judge’s orders. The situation sparked considerable controversy, with Trump's administration arguing that removing his name could hinder fundraising efforts conducted by the Kennedy Center, as outlined by India Times and Le Monde.