Kennedy Center for Performing Arts Getting Name Change Under Trump's Leadership
The board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, has voted to rename the venue the “Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted Thursday on the social media platform X:
“I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building. Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation.
“Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur.”
I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump…
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) December 18, 2025
Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the center, confirmed the name change, saying it was a way of recognizing Trump’s performance as chairman of the center’s board.
“The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution the Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” Daravi wrote in a statement on X.
“The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction. The new Trump Kennedy Center reflects the unequivocal bipartisan support for America’s cultural center for generations to come,” she added.
The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical…
— Roma Daravi (@romadaravi) December 18, 2025
Trump responded to the decision on Thursday, telling reporters, “I was surprised by it, and I was honored by it. We’re saving the building… That building was in such bad shape — both physically, financially, and in every other way… The Kennedy Center is really back strongly.”
.@POTUS: “I was surprised by it, and I was honored by it. We’re saving the building… That building was in such bad shape — both physically, financially, and in every other way… The Kennedy Center is really back strongly.” https://t.co/MH9ZFbsFv3 pic.twitter.com/uYQYTNkUiL
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 18, 2025
On Feb. 7, Trump announced he would be taking over as chairman of the center’s board.
He removed 18 Democratic appointees to the board and replaced them with his picks, including second lady Usha Vance, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, singer Lee Greenwood, businessman Paolo Zampolli, and Fox News host Laura Ingraham, among others.
The new board of trustees elected Trump as chairman Feb. 12, replacing David Rubenstein, who had held the post since 2010.
At the same time, the body chose Richard Grenell as interim director.
The president explained his takeover in a Truth Social post at the time, writing, “I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture …
“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!” he added.
President Trump on making the Kennedy Center in Washington DC “GREAT AGAIN”:
“Drag shows targeting our youth.. WILL STOP!” pic.twitter.com/YIl1J3cTlO
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 7, 2025
Earlier this month, the venue hosted the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony for this year’s awardees, including Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait, Michael Crawford, and the members of the rock band KISS.
The Trump-hosted event raised a record $23 million for the Center, which nearly doubled last year’s total of $12.7 million, according to Fox News.
The ceremony will air on CBS on Dec. 23, Trump told reporters on Thursday.
WUNC, a public radio station in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, reported the Big Beautiful Bill, passed this summer, contains $257 million for building repairs and maintenance.
The facility was originally to be named The National Cultural Center, according to legislation passed during the Eisenhower administration authorizing its construction.
In November 1962, Kennedy kicked off a $30 million fundraising campaign for the building (more than $300 million in 2025 dollars).
Two months after Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963, President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill renaming the yet-to-be-built facility the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It opened to the public in 1971.
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