Kennedy Center Votes for Controversial Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Center, According to Administration Statement.
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The board of trustees of the renowned performing arts venue has approved a measure to be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, as confirmed by the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared online that the board's approval was consensus, citing "the tremendous efforts President Trump has done over the last year in preserving the building."
"This promises to be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt reach new levels of success and grandeur," Leavitt added.
The proposed move is likely to prove 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 Venue
Soon after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump replaced all the center's existing board members and installed allies in their positions. The reconstituted board subsequently voted to elect Trump chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in congressional funding to cover major renovations and other financial needs at the national venue.
Original Concept
The vision 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 then-under-construction venue was christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
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