Kennedy Center Moves for Major Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, According to White House Statement.
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The leadership board of the prestigious performing arts venue has approved a measure to adopt a new name the Trump-Kennedy Center, as confirmed by the White House.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced via a post that the board's vote was unified, 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 reach new levels of success and grandeur," Leavitt added.
The planned renaming is expected to be extremely contentious, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an iconic landmark since its construction and christening for President John F. Kennedy.
Background of the Center
Not long after taking office, President Donald Trump fired all the center's incumbent trustees and named loyalists in their stead. The freshly appointed board then voted to name Trump the chairman.
The president later secured approximately $257 million in appropriated money to cover extensive repairs and other financial needs at the historic venue.
Historical Roots
The concept for a federal performing arts center was first proposed in the 1950s. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the planned venue was named in his honor.
This report is being updated. More details will be added as it becomes available.
