The White House on Thursday announced that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, originally named after slain former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, has been renamed the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
According to the White House, the decision followed a unanimous vote by the center’s board, which was hand-picked earlier this year by President Donald Trump after his return to office.
Trump has continued to imprint his influence on Washington since beginning his second term, with the renaming of the iconic arts institution marking the peak of his efforts to overhaul the center, which he had previously criticized as being “too woke.”
The move comes amid other ambitious proposals attributed to the president, including plans to demolish the White House East Wing to make way for a $400 million ballroom and the proposed construction of a large triumphal arch.
Reacting to the development, Trump told reporters he was both surprised and honored by the decision, despite having openly discussed changing the center’s name in the past.
The 79-year-old president currently serves as head of the board, having appointed himself after removing Democratic members shortly after assuming office in January.
The announcement was first made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a post on X, where she stated that the highly respected board, made up of prominent figures from across the world, voted unanimously to rename the facility.
Leavitt said the decision was in recognition of what she described as Trump’s “unbelievable work” in saving the building over the past year.
“Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future,” she added.
John F. Kennedy, after whom the center was originally named, was
