Donald Trump has wasted little time stamping his authority on Washington since returning to power. Now, in an extraordinary move unprecedented for a sitting US president, the nation’s premier performing arts venue is set to bear his name.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will be renamed the “Trump–Kennedy Center” following a vote by its board, hand-picked by Trump earlier this year, the White House announced on Thursday.
The decision effectively adds Trump’s name to one of America’s most iconic cultural institutions, long associated with the legacy of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. The center, a white-marble landmark on the banks of the Potomac River, opened in 1971.
The move crowns the 79-year-old Republican’s campaign to remake an institution he has repeatedly derided as overly “woke.” It also comes amid a series of grand projects promoted by Trump, including plans to demolish the White House’s East Wing to make way for a $400 million ballroom and the construction of a large triumphal arch.
“I was surprised by it; I was honoured by it,” Trump told reporters after the announcement, despite having publicly floated the idea of a name change on multiple occasions in recent months.
Trump, a billionaire real estate developer, currently serves as chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board, having appointed himself after removing Democratic members shortly after beginning his second term in January.
The announcement was first made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a post on X, where she said the board had voted unanimously to approve the change.
“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 facility,” Leavitt wrote.
She credited Trump’s “unbelievable work” in restoring the center’s finances, overseeing renovations, and reviving its public 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!” she added.
Dispute over the vote
However, claims of unanimity were swiftly challenged.
Joyce Beatty, a Democratic congresswoman from Ohio who retains a seat on the board through a congressional mandate, disputed the account, saying she was neither consulted nor allowed to object.
“For the record, this was not unanimous,” Beatty wrote on X. “I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition. Also for the record, this was not on the agenda.”
A long-running feud
The Kennedy Center, long cherished by Washingtonians, has been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism since his first term. He notably avoided attending the annual Kennedy Center Honors gala for years, as many honorees publicly opposed his policies.
In his second term, Trump moved decisively to reshape the institution. He dismissed Democratic trustees, removed the center’s president, and installed loyalists, framing the overhaul as part of a broader effort to confront what he views as ideological bias in federally supported cultural bodies.
Trump has also taken a personal interest in the center’s renovation, making repeated visits to inspect the work and praising the white marble used in the refurbishment.
Earlier this year, he presided over the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony for the first time, awarding accolades to actor Sylvester Stallone, disco icon Gloria Gaynor, and rock band KISS.
Just days before the renaming announcement, Trump appeared at the December 5 draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he accepted a newly created peace prize from football’s governing body and delivered remarks on stage.
Though Trump had previously joked about renaming the Kennedy Center—remarks once dismissed as tongue-in-cheek, they now appear to have foreshadowed a concrete plan.
“You have a big event at the Trump–Kennedy Center—whoops, excuse me, at the Kennedy Center,” Trump quipped earlier this month at the opening of another institution that had also been renamed in his honour.
“Whoops, excuse me. Pardon me, such a terrible mistake.”
AFP
