# Is there a process that could see through the Kennedy Center tarps? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 29, 2026, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670 "2026-08-29T13:35:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/1 "2026-08-29T13:35:47Z")
I, and several others I presume, would like to know if the “Donald J. Trump” lettering is still on the façade of the Kennedy Center. When a judge ordered that the extra name be removed, the wall was covered up with some scaffolding and tarps, protected by guards. Let’s assume the lettering is black metal. Is there a way that a camera could see through the tarps and confirm if the lettering is still in place, from a distance? Perhaps an infrared camera on a sunny day? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/2 "2026-08-29T14:17:42Z")
I think that if anything legal could have been done the tarp would have been torn down by now and the entire board would be in jail for deliberately defying court orders over and over again. I really can’t think of any legal solution that would actually accomplish the OP’s goal, which I think is tearing the tarp down permanently, and not just having a judge making yet another ruling. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/3 "2026-08-29T14:19:08Z")
A few weeks ago I saw an article about someone who took a photo of that spot by looking from an angle from a high nearby building. Here it is: > **[New images show what’s behind the tarp at the Kennedy Center | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/23/politics/kennedy-center-trump-name-removed)** > > New images obtained by CNN show the Kennedy Center signage with President Donald Trump’s name removed, confirming a sworn court declaration from the arts center’s executive director Matt Floca that the president’s name is no longer affixed to the... ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/4 "2026-08-29T14:32:56Z")
That is a bit more than a few weeks ago. Seeing as how the Board is doing everything they can to get that trumpstamp back up there, I need a bit more current evidence that a permanent change has been made, and not just a temporary removal that left the framework up there to hang the name back up on. Or worse, that it was already done. Just a reminder: His name was illegally placed on the Kennedy Center on December 9, 2025. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/5 "2026-08-29T14:54:30Z")
OK, I didn’t know these behind-the-tarp pictures existed. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/6 "2026-08-29T15:05:58Z")
Answering the OP, I do wonder If SONOR or LIDAR would work, something the goes through fabric but not metal. Brian ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/7 "2026-08-29T15:15:05Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > something the goes through fabric but not metal. X-rays. But that would be inconvenient to set up. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/8 "2026-08-29T20:09:23Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > X-rays. But that would be inconvenient to set up. Is it possible to focus X-rays? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/9 "2026-08-29T20:14:54Z")
Infrared after the sun sets. Fabric will cool fastest, then metal, then stone. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/10 "2026-08-29T20:20:06Z")
I think even RADAR would penetrate the cloth but reflect off metal, but am unsure if the resolution would be good enough – depends on the wavelength - Ka band (11.1 - 7.5 mm) may work. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/11 "2026-08-29T20:23:40Z")
What are the legalities of any of these processes when armed guards are present and the authorities really don’t want outside investigating? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/12 "2026-08-29T22:30:09Z")
The presence of the armed guards and what the authorities want don’t change the legality. They might in principle change the feasibility, but it doesn’t take much to aim an infrared camera at the building while driving by, or the like. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/13 "2026-08-30T15:45:21Z")
Can’t someone just go up and take a photo from the same place as the photo from June? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/14 "2026-08-30T16:48:37Z")
Guards, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-process-that-could-see-through-the-kennedy-center-tarps/1032670/15 "2026-09-03T03:54:40Z")
As mentioned above, you could do it with millimeter waves, i.e. wavelengths in the range of 1-10 mm (30-300 GHz). Airport scanners of the type where they ask you to stand with your hands over your head operate somewhere in the range of 25-80 GHz. In Europe, I believe they sometimes call these “naked scanners” because they see through your clothes.