On Thursday, the Kennedy Center board announced a unanimous vote to rename the iconic venue, sparking immediate controversy across the political spectrum.
The decision, reported by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, was described as a unanimous action by a board composed of some of the most successful people from all parts of the world.
Leavitt posted the announcement on social platform X, writing that the board had voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, citing President Trump’s work over the last year in saving the building.
“I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building,” Leavitt wrote in a post on social platform X.
“Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation. Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur,” she continued.
Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center, confirmed the statement.
“The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” Daravi said.
“The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction. The new Trump Kennedy Center reflects the unequivocal bipartisan support for America’s cultural center for generations to come.”
Trump said he was “surprised and honored” when he learned of the name change on Thursday.
“The board is a very distinguished board, the most distinguished people in the country,” Trump told reporters. “We saved the building because it was in such bad shape, physically, financially, and in every other way, and now it’s very solid, very strong.”
After returning to the White House, the president moved to replace several board members at the culture center and was subsequently elected chair by the new board, a move that prompted a number of resignations from the performing arts center.
Trump had teased a potential name change earlier this month while emceeing the Kennedy Center Honors, saying “The Trump Kennedy Center” to the crowd before grinning and adding “oops.”
Democrats quickly pushed back on the vote, arguing that an official name change requires congressional approval.
“The Kennedy Center Board has no authority to actually rename the Kennedy Center in the absence of legislative action,” Jeffries said, according to a Bloomberg reporter.
Jack Schlossberg, former President Kennedy’s grandson, weighed in on the change, claiming the board meeting and vote were not unanimous.
“Microphones were muted and the board meeting and vote NOT unanimous,” he wrote on social platform X. “Trump explicitly motivated to act by JACK FOR NEW YORK. Our campaign represents everything Trump can’t stand or defeat.”
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Oh.), an ex-officio Kennedy Center board member, said she was on the call during the vote but was muted each time she tried to speak. “Participants were not allowed to voice their concerns,” Beatty said, claiming the vote was not unanimous.
In July, Rep. Bob Onder (R-Mo.) introduced legislation that would rename the building the “Trump Center for the Performing Arts,” and House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to the annual spending bill that would rename the center’s famed opera house the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”
The amendment drew fierce criticism from critics, including Schlossberg, who wrote: “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces – but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers,” he posted online at the time. “The Trump administration stands for freedom of oppression, not expression.”
The controversy has highlighted the legal and political complexities surrounding the renaming of a federal cultural institution.
Key Takeaways
- The Kennedy Center board voted unanimously to rename the venue to the Trump-Kennedy Center.
- The move has been challenged on legal grounds, with Democrats arguing congressional approval is required.
- Legislative efforts have been introduced to rename the building and its opera house, sparking further debate.
Updated at 2:50 p.m. EST.
