The White House announced Thursday that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., has been renamed as The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts — a move that is already drawing sharp criticism from members of the Kennedy family and political observers.
The centre’s board of trustees, many of whom were appointed by former President Donald Trump, voted unanimously to rename the cultural institution after electing Trump as chairman earlier this year. However, under federal law, the official name of the Kennedy Center can only be changed through an act of U.S. Congress, raising legal and procedural questions about the validity of the renaming.
In a statement, Roma Daravi, the centre’s vice president of public relations, defended the decision:
“The unanimous vote recognises 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 centre for generations to come.”
Kennedy Family Responds: “This is not dignified”
The response from the Kennedy family was swift and critical. Maria Shriver, niece of President John F. Kennedy, publicly condemned the decision:
“Next thing perhaps he will want to rename JFK Airport, rename the Lincoln Memorial, the Trump-Lincoln Memorial. The Trump Jefferson Memorial. The Trump Smithsonian. The list goes on,” she wrote, adding:
“Can we not see what is happening here? C’mon, my fellow Americans! Wake up! This is not dignified. This is not funny. Just when you think [someone] can’t stoop any lower, down they go…”
Tim Shriver, JFK’s first cousin, was equally adamant, calling the renaming effort “short-sighted” and “an insult to a great president.”
“Perhaps the board isn’t aware that the Kennedy Center is the memorial to the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy,” he said.
“The centre is and will remain the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — no matter what the board voted for.”
Legal and Political Fallout
The vote has stirred controversy not only for its symbolism but also for its legal standing. Because the Kennedy Center was established by Congressional statute in 1958 and officially designated a memorial to President Kennedy in 1964, renaming it would require an act of Congress. No such legislation has been introduced.
The renaming also comes amid plummeting ticket sales and growing discontent with the centre’s leadership since Trump’s appointment. Interim President Ric Grenell, a former Trump official, is currently under Senate investigation for alleged corrupt dealings during his tenure at the centre.
Ironically, while Trump once vowed “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS” at the Kennedy Center, its latest season features several drag performances — highlighting the cultural clash between Trump’s political rhetoric and the centre’s ongoing programming.
