On Friday, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., was renamed to include Donald J. Trump in its title, a move that came a day after its board of trustees voted unanimously to add the former president’s name. Blue tarps were hung over the building to conceal workers on scaffolding as they carried out the change, and within hours the structure bore the new designation: The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
Board Vote and Rapid Execution
The board, selected by Trump and chaired by him, approved the renaming on Thursday. Trump, a Republican, said the vote recognized his efforts to revitalize the institution. The swift action was visible when workers began the transformation immediately after the vote, using tarps to keep the public out of view.
Legal and Historical Context
Critics, including Democratic members of Congress who serve as ex-officio board members, and some historians, argue that only Congress has the authority to alter the center’s name. Ray Smock, a former House historian, wrote: “The Kennedy Center was named by law. To change the name would require a revision of that 1964 law,” and added: “The Kennedy Center board is not a lawmaking entity. Congress makes laws.”
Congress designated the performing-arts center as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy in 1964, the year after his assassination. The law explicitly bars the board of trustees from turning the center into a memorial for anyone else or from adding another person’s name to the building’s exterior.
Family and Congressional Reactions
Kerry Kennedy wrote on X: “Three years and one month from today, I’m going to grab a pickax and pull those letters off that building, but I’m going to need help holding the ladder. Are you in?” She added: “Applying for my carpenter’s card today, so it’ll be a union job!!!”
The renaming follows a recent trend of Washington landmarks being named after Trump, most notably the U.S. Institute of Peace, which was renamed in his honor.
Key Takeaways
- The Kennedy Center was renamed to include Donald Trump a day after a unanimous board vote.
- Legal experts argue that only Congress can change the name, citing the 1964 law.
- Kerry Kennedy has publicly declared her intention to remove Trump’s name once his term ends.
The Kennedy Center has not yet responded to a request for comment. The story was reported by AP National Writer Hillel Italie in New York.
