CNN interrupted its regular programming to deliver a breaking news announcement that dealt a humiliating blow to President Donald Trump. The network's NewsNight presenter Abby Philip cut into the broadcast to reveal that Trump's name was being stripped from the facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
As the breaking news banner flashed across the screen, Philip reported: "But first, of course, some breaking news tonight. President Trump's name is coming down from the Kennedy Center Building. The judge has rejected the Senate's last-minute request to freeze a previous judge's ruling while the court proceedings play out. The court did not elaborate on that decision, and they have until midnight tonight to restore the original name."
The development follows the newly reshaped Kennedy Center board of trustees voting to rename the venue The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, with Trump's name displayed prominently on the building. Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty filed a lawsuit to block the change, and last month, District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled the renaming was completely illegal. Beatty characterized Trump's rebranding as a "personal vanity project."
The judge imposed a strict deadline of Friday night, June 12, for the Trump administration to remove the President's name from the building, website, and all official branding. Construction crews began the removal process early Saturday morning at 3 a.m. According to The Independent, a crowd gathered below and shouted, "take it off." The Kennedy Center also removed Trump's name from its website.
