Workers began removing President Donald Trump's name from the facade of the Kennedy Center early Saturday, hours after a court-ordered Friday deadline to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the iconic performing arts venue’s operations.

Although a judge ordered the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, a legal battle continues.

Dark storm clouds gather over the Kennedy Center in the hours before a federal judge’s deadline to remove U.S. President Donald Trump's name from the facade of the John

A formal stay is expected to be filed on Friday after a federal judge had earlier ruled that only Congress could change the name of the center.

The center’s board of trustees on Thursday voted to seek a stay of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s directive to take Trump’s name off the center’s exterior by Friday.

Workers began removing President Donald Trump’s name from the facade of the Kennedy Center early Saturday, hours after a court-ordered Friday deadline to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the iconic performing arts venue’s operations.

The center asked for an extension just before midnight Friday, saying it expects to have the name removed by Saturday.

The president's move to appeal comes after a judge ruled that Trump's name had been added to the iconic DC building illegally and must be removed.