John F. Kennedy Center Set for Major Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, According to Administration Announcement.
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The governing board of the iconic performing arts venue has approved a measure to adopt a new name the Trump-Kennedy Center, according to a statement from the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared online that the board's vote was unified, crediting "the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building."
"This promises to be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt achieve new levels of success and grandeur," Leavitt noted.
The planned renaming is shaping up as deeply divisive, notably in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an architectural and cultural icon since its construction and christening for President John F. Kennedy.
Context of the Center
Not long after taking office, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's incumbent trustees and named supporters in their place. The reconstituted board later moved to elect Trump chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in congressional funding to pay for significant upgrades and other financial needs at the aging venue.
Inception
The concept for a Washington-based performing arts center was first proposed in the 1950s. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the future venue was named in his honor.
This report is being updated. More details will be added as it becomes available.
