Kennedy Center Board Decides to Rename D.C. Landmark in Honor of President Trump
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The board of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., has voted to rename the cultural institution, a decision confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a post on X on Thursday. The official title will be the Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
“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 stated.
“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 added.
Later, during remarks to reporters at the White House, Trump expressed surprise and honor at the board’s decision to change the center’s name. “This was brought up by one of the very distinguished board members, and they voted on it, and there’s a lot of board members, and they voted unanimously. So I was very honored,” he said.
Shortly after Leavitt’s announcement, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio member of the board, contradicted her claim of a unanimous vote. Speaking to reporters, Beatty noted that the renaming was not on the agenda for the meeting, and she was taken aback when it was proposed.
“I said, ‘I have something to say,’ and I was muted, and as I continued to try to unmute to ask questions and voiced my opposition to this, I received a note saying that I would not be unmuted,” the congresswoman recounted.
Jack Schlossberg, grandson of the late President John F. Kennedy, also raised concerns on X: “Microphones were muted and the board meeting and vote NOT unanimous I’m told Trump explicitly motivated to act by JACK FOR NEW YORK Our campaign represents everything Trump can’t stand or defeat.”
Schlossberg, the son of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, is vying for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 12th congressional district for the 2026 U.S. House of Representatives election.
Microphones were muted and the board meeting and vote NOT unanimous
I’m told Trump explicitly motivated to act by JACK FOR NEW YORK
Our campaign represents everything Trump can’t stand or defeat.
— Jack Schlossberg (@JBKSchlossberg) December 18, 2025
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also criticized the decision, asserting to reporters that the name change is not legally valid.
Any effort to rename the Kennedy Center may face significant legal challenges, as existing statutes governing its establishment explicitly prohibit such changes. Modifying this would require an act of Congress.
During his first term in office (2017-2021), Trump largely overlooked the Kennedy Center, becoming the first president since the inception of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978 not to attend the gala. However, he has since sought to reshape the center’s focus and programming during his second term, which began in January.
In February, Trump dismissed multiple members of the board and named himself as chair, declaring on Truth Social, “At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN.”
Weeks after these actions, the newly appointed members of the Kennedy Center board officially voted Trump as chair.
Trump played a significant role in selecting this year’s Kennedy Center Honorees, which included George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, KISS, Michael Crawford, and Sylvester Stallone. He disclosed that among about 50 candidates presented to him, he rejected most, citing a preference against those deemed “too woke,” ultimately approving these five.
On December 7, Trump hosted the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, marking the first time a sitting or former U.S. president has done so.
In past statements, Trump has referred to the institution as the “Trump/Kennedy Center,” even jokingly remarking on Truth Social in August about honorees, “GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER.”
Kerry Kennedy, daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, denounced the renaming initiative, stating on X, “President Trump and his administration have spent the past year repressing free expression, targeting artists, journalists, and comedians, and erasing the history of Americans whose contributions made our nation better and more just.”
She further commented, “President Kennedy proudly stood for justice, peace, equality, dignity, diversity, and compassion for those who suffer. President Trump stands in opposition to these values, and his name should not be placed alongside President Kennedy’s.”
Former Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, a grandnephew of the former president, also objected to the proposed name change. In a statement, he remarked, “The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opened on September 8, 1971, nearly eight years after President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. George London served as its first executive director, appointed in 1968. Lawrence Wilker became its president in 1991, followed by Deborah Rutter in 2014. In February, Trump designated Richard Grenell as the interim executive director.
Several prominent figures, including Rhiannon Giddens, Issa Rae, Renée Fleming, Shonda Rhimes, and Ben Folds, have distanced themselves from the Kennedy Center this year. Additionally, notable productions like the musical Hamilton and the play Eureka Day have cancelled performances at the venue.
