The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees voted Thursday to rename the center the Trump-Kennedy Center, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in a post on X. According to Leavitt, the board unanimously approved the name change in recognition of what she described as Trump’s improvements to the building’s reputation, finances, and facility repairs this year.
In February, Trump appointed himself as chair of the center’s board, removing former president David Rubenstein and other members who he said did not “share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” referencing the venue’s previous drag performances which he claimed were “specifically targeting our youth.”
“Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future!” Leavitt said in her post. “The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur.”
Following emerging leadership changes, Trump appointed several media figures including Laura Ingraham, as well as individuals within his administration and family, such as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, to the board. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Davari stated to The Hatchet that trustees unanimously approved the name change in honor of Trump’s contributions during his second term, reflecting what she called the center’s bipartisan support.
“The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction,” Davari said. “The new Trump-Kennedy Center reflects the unequivocal bipartisan support for America’s cultural center for generations to come.”
However, U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH), who has served on the center’s board since being appointed by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi in April 2021, challenged the characterization of the vote as unanimous. In a statement on X, Beatty claimed she was muted during the meeting while she attempted to object and vote against the renaming, and that the vote was not on the official agenda.
“Each time I tried to speak, I was muted,” Beatty wrote. “Participants were not allowed to voice their concerns who were online.” Representative Beatty did not immediately return a request for comment.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the vote during a Thursday press conference, urging Republicans to focus on lowering prices instead of pleasing Trump. He also argued the board of trustees exceeded its legal authority, noting that the law establishing the Kennedy Center reserves naming rights to Congress.
“They don’t have the power to do it. Only Congress can rename the Kennedy Center,” Jeffries said. The center’s founding statute also requires the board to ensure that “no additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas.”
President Trump reacted to the vote during a press conference where he signed an executive order speeding up reclassification of cannabis, stating that the decision surprised and honored him and that Congress should be prepared to invest more funds into repairing the center. “We had a lot of donors come in for record setting numbers, so we saved the Kennedy Center,” Trump said. “This was brought up by one of the very distinguished board members. And they voted on it, and there’s a lot of board members, and they voted unanimously.”
In related developments, Idaho Republican Representative Mike Simpson secured committee approval in July for a proposal to rename the center’s opera house after First Lady Melania Trump, but with no similar provision in the Senate’s counterpart bill, the measure has stalled since summer.
The Washington Post reported in October that ticket sales at the Center declined following the management changes, and several productions—including “Hamilton”—canceled their performances due to Trump’s takeover.
https://gwhatchet.com/2025/12/18/kennedy-center-board-votes-to-rename-it-trump-kennedy-center/