Trump’s Name Added to Kennedy Center Memorial/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Kennedy Center’s board voted to add Donald Trump’s name to the building memorializing President John F. Kennedy. Critics argue the move defies federal law, while some Kennedy family members voiced strong opposition. The renamed center now honors both Trump and Kennedy, sparking political and legal debate.
Trump-Kennedy Center Renaming Quick Looks
- Location: Washington, D.C.
- Original Name: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- New Name: The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts
- Board Vote: Unanimous decision, led by Trump-appointed trustees
- Controversy: Legal concerns over renaming without congressional approval
- Kennedy Family Response: Kerry Kennedy publicly condemned the change
- Historical Law: 1964 legislation prohibits additional names on the memorial
- Trump’s Role: Current chairman of the board, appointed all current trustees
- Public Backlash: Growing criticism from lawmakers, historians, and Kennedy allies
- Additional Renamings: U.S. Institute of Peace recently renamed for Trump
Trump’s Name Added to Kennedy Center Memorial
Deep Look
WASHINGTON — In a swift and controversial move, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts added Donald Trump’s name to its title on Friday, following a unanimous vote by the board of trustees—a board currently chaired by Trump himself and composed entirely of his appointees.
The rebranding effort was carried out with noticeable urgency. Blue tarps concealed the work as crews changed the signage outside the famed arts venue. By day’s end, the building bore a new name: The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
The decision has sparked immediate backlash, as the Kennedy Center has long stood as a symbolic living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Critics—including Democratic lawmakers, historians, and members of the Kennedy family—argue that renaming the center without congressional authorization violates federal law.
“The Kennedy Center was named by law. To change the name would require a revision of that 1964 law,” said Ray Smock, a former historian for the U.S. House of Representatives. “The Kennedy Center board is not a lawmaking entity. Congress makes laws.”
Established in 1964, one year after Kennedy’s assassination, the performing arts center was specifically named and protected under legislation that restricts the board from honoring anyone else in the same manner. The law expressly forbids the inclusion of another individual’s name on the center’s exterior or in its official designation as a memorial.
Despite this, Trump’s supporters on the board justified the move as a tribute to his efforts to rejuvenate and support the institution. The Kennedy Center issued a brief statement saying the renaming recognized Trump’s contributions during and after his presidency.
The renaming has also reignited political tensions in Washington. Democratic members of Congress—who serve as non-voting ex-officio members of the Kennedy Center board—have condemned the move and called for its reversal through legislative means.
Perhaps the most passionate response came from within the Kennedy family itself. Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and niece of President John F. Kennedy, openly denounced the change. In a social media post, she vowed to take matters into her own hands once Trump’s term on the board concludes.
“Three years and one month from today, I’m going to grab a pickax and pull those letters off that building,” she wrote alongside a photo of the updated signage. “I’m applying for my carpenter’s card today, so it’ll be a union job.”
Kerry’s defiant message quickly went viral, highlighting the depth of frustration among those who view the name change as a politicization of a historic national landmark.
The Kennedy Center is not the only institution in the capital to receive a Trump rebranding in recent months. The U.S. Institute of Peace, another federally funded entity, was recently renamed in honor of the former president, a move that likewise stirred political controversy.
As of Friday afternoon, the Kennedy Center had not responded to media inquiries requesting clarification or justification for the renaming.
This renaming is likely to trigger further legal scrutiny and potential legislative action. Legal experts have already begun debating whether the board’s actions amount to an overreach of its authority and whether Congress will need to intervene to enforce the original law’s intent.
In the meantime, the newly altered facade of one of the nation’s most revered cultural venues stands as a new flashpoint in the ongoing political divide over Donald Trump’s legacy.
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