Oversight Democrat hails Trump name removal from Kennedy Center: 'Really important moment for this country'

Source: The Hill

06/13/26 8:30 PM ET


Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, hailed the removal of President Trump’s name from the renowned Kennedy Center on Saturday as a symbolic win for “democracy and the rule of law.”

“It’s [The Kennedy Center] a tribute to one of our greatest presidents, and the fact that Donald Trump chose to desecrate it with no input from the family, with no input from Congress, just because he thought he had the power to do, and the courts pushing back in the way that they did, I think, is a really important moment for this country,” Garcia said during a Saturday afternoon appearance on MS NOW.

Workers began stripping Trump’s name off the façade of the performing arts center early in the morning, hours after a court-ordered deadline that the Justice Department (DOJ) asked to extend past midnight due to weather conditions.

A tarp was later dropped over the front of the building, obstructing the view of visitors who had gathered onsite to watch the removal. The covering was still up as of 8:30 p.m. EDT, according to a live MS NOW video feed. “I don’t know that I’ve ever wanted to see a tarp come down from a building more than this,” Garcia said.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5923127-garcia-hails-kennedy-center-victory/