Fact Check: Is the viral video showing Trump's name being removed from the Kennedy Center real?
WASHINGTON, DC: Following a federal judge's order to remove the name of President Donald Trump from the Kennedy Center, a video has been going viral on social media platforms claiming to show Trump's name being removed from the historic building, sparking speculation.
Let us analyze the viral video and fact-check its authenticity.
Claim: Video shows Trump's name being removed from Kennedy Center
The viral video shows Trump's name being removed, letter by letter, from the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, while the crowd watching cheered.
The video posted on Instagram on Saturday, May 30, was accompanied by a caption stating, “The pushback has begun. Judge rules Trump's name must be removed from Kennedy Center #kennedycenter #pushback #whitehouse #dcmonuments.”
The video has also been shared on X and Facebook, garnering millions of views, with comments under the post indicating that many believe the video to be authentic, while others called it fake.
Fact Check: The video is AI-generated
Although a judge did indeed rule on May 29 that the president’s name be removed, there have been no reports yet of it actually being removed.
Also, the video was generated using artificial intelligence, as is evident from several glitches common in AI-generated videos, such as spelling errors like ‘Eedy’ instead of Kennedy, ‘Danald’ and ‘Rnald’ instead of Donald, and the word ‘MDRIAL’ falling instead of the word Trump.
Also, the account that posted the video has a bio that reads "Using AI to comment about our wondrous but twisted world."
Judge orders removal of Trump's name from Kennedy Center
Citing its founding statute, District Judge Christopher Cooper, a Barack Obama-era appointee, ruled that the Kennedy Center cannot be renamed without congressional approval.
As per the decision, all references to Trump’s name are to be removed from physical signage, digital platforms, and official materials within 14 days. It also halts aspects of the administration’s plan to close the venue temporarily for extensive renovations.
Cooper wrote, “The Kennedy Center's organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board's unilateral say-so.”
He added, “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”
