‘Snowflake’: Donald Trump's Kennedy Center tarp cover-up sparks criticism
Donald Trump’s name has been removed from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. But striped tarps still cover the cultural center, leading to frustration and several accusing Trump of having a “fragile ego”.
Published on 15/06/2026 - 11:16 GMT+2
It’s been a busy weekend for Donald Trump, with the announcement of a framework deal to end the war with Iran, the World Cup in full swing in the US, the New York Knicks securing their first NBA victory in 53 years, and his 80th birthday celebrations yesterday with the controversial UFC cage fight on the White House lawn.
"ON NATIONAL CUCUMBER DAY??", joked one X user.
However, there’s one embarrassing element that is literally being covered up: the removal of Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – the national cultural center in Washington DC.
As the new chairman of the Kennedy Center, Trump decreed that his name should be added to the venue – above that of John F. Kennedy's.
In May, US District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the venue could not be renamed without congressional approval.
Judge Cooper noted that Congress made it “crystal clear” that the building is to be named after former president John F. Kennedy and that it “cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial” based on a “unilateral say-so” from a Trump-appointed board.
He ordered the Trump name removal by Friday 12 June.
Crews erected scaffolding on Friday and the removal was delayed, as a last‑minute attempt by the Trump administration to pause the order was rejected by the judge.
Now, Trump's name has been taken down from the front of the Kennedy Center. Not that you could tell...
Workers hung long plastic sheeting from the structure, obscuring the removal of the letters.
When footage was shared online of scaffolding hiding the lettering removal, the images went viral, with many describing Trump as a “loser”.
“Has there ever been a bigger snowflake in the history of the world than Donald Trump,” asked one X user, while another described the tarp cover-up as “fragile ego on full display”.
Check out some of the reactions below:
As of writing, the striped tarps are still blocking the view of the now-Trumpless Kennedy Center.
