Kennedy Center Set for Major Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Center, Per White House Statement.
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The leadership board of the iconic performing arts venue has approved a measure to be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced via a post that the board's approval was consensus, attributing it to "the extraordinary job President Trump has done over the last year in preserving the building."
"This will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of prestige and accomplishment," Leavitt noted.
The intended name change is shaping up as deeply divisive, especially in Washington, D.C., where the center has served as an beloved institution since its founding and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Context of the Center
Shortly after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump fired all the center's sitting board members and appointed supporters in their stead. The reconstituted board later moved to appoint Trump as chairman.
The president was instrumental in securing approximately $257 million in federal funds to cover significant upgrades and operational expenses at the national venue.
Historical Roots
The concept for a Washington-based performing arts center originated in the 1950s. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was named in his honor.
Further details are emerging. More details will be added as it becomes available.
