Kennedy Center Votes for Controversial Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, Per Administration Statement.
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The board of trustees of the renowned performing arts venue has voted to adopt a new name the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced via a post that the board's vote was unified, attributing it to "the unbelievable work 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 achieve new levels of prestige and accomplishment," Leavitt noted.
The planned renaming is shaping up as deeply divisive, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an architectural and cultural icon since its founding and christening for President John F. Kennedy.
Background of the Center
Soon after taking office, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's sitting board members and installed supporters in their stead. The reconstituted board then voted to name Trump the chairman.
The president was instrumental in securing approximately $257 million in congressional funding to finance major renovations and operational expenses at the aging venue.
Inception
The vision for a national performing arts center was first proposed in the 1950s. Following the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the planned venue was named in his honor.
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