The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., held a vote on December 18 to change the institution's name to Trump-Kennedy Center, the White House confirmed.

“I have just been informed that the Kennedy Center's respected Board of Directors, comprised of some of the most accomplished people in the world, “The board just voted unanimously to change the name of the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center,” announced press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Legal Concerns

The name of the Performing Arts Center was established by law in honor of President John F. Kennedy in 1964, so any modification or proposal to change it would have to go through Congress.

The decision to change it so suddenly raised legal concerns about whether the board has the authority to change the name of the arts venue.

Leavitt's justification was “because of the incredible work that President Trump has done over the last year to save the building. Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially and in terms of its reputation.”

Trump had already hinted at the possible name change of the Center, which he visited on December 5, during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico.

Trump said he was honored and surprised

It should be noted that Donald Trump was elected chairman of the board by a new composition in February. The president said he was “honored” and “surprised” by the vote, during an event in the Oval Office.

“This was brought forward by one of the distinguished members of the board, and they voted for it, and there are many members, and they voted unanimously,” Trump said.

Joe Kennedy III, great-nephew of President Kennedy, commented on the name change via a message on X.

Named by Federal Law

“The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a deceased president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It cannot be renamed, just as no one can rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says,” he asserted.

In February, Trump ordered the removal of 'woke' content from its programming and promised a major renovation of the building. He also dismissed its president, philanthropist David Rubenstein, and appointed Richard Grenell to the position.

Earlier this month, the Republican was involved in the selection of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors recipients, who were actor Sylvester Stallone, singer Gloria Gaynor, and the rock band Kiss.

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