A board personally selected by former US President Donald Trump has voted to rename Washington's iconic John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, sparking immediate condemnation from Democratic leaders and the Kennedy family.
A Decision Labelled a "Disgrace"
The move, which took place on Thursday 18 December 2025, will see the venue rebranded as the Trump-Kennedy Center. The leader of Democrats in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, who sits on the board, swiftly denounced the name change as a "disgrace".
Jeffries argued that the president's handpicked board lacked the authority to rename Washington's premier performing arts centre without legislative action. "We're going to make that clear," the New York Democrat stated.
Kennedy Family and White House Clash
The decision has drawn fierce criticism from the late president's relatives. Former US Representative Joe Kennedy III, a grandnephew of JFK, wrote on social media platform X that the centre is a "living memorial to a fallen president" named by federal law. "It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial," he asserted.
In July, Maria Shriver, a niece of President Kennedy, criticised earlier legislative attempts at rebranding, calling them "insane," "petty," and "small-minded."
In stark contrast, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the move. She claimed it recognised the "unbelievable work President Trump has done over the past year to save the building", citing financial, reputational, and reconstruction efforts.
Trump's Renewed Focus on the Venue
President Trump, a Republican who now chairs the centre's board, had shown little interest in the institution during his first term. However, after returning to power, he initiated a major revamp. This involved ousting the previous chair, installing a new board that appointed him as chairman, and firing the centre's long-time president, Deborah Rutter.
Trump has frequently referred to the building, which honours the former Democratic president, as the "Trump-Kennedy Centre." When asked on 7 December 2025 at the Kennedy Center Honours red carpet if he planned to rename it, he said the decision would be up to the board.
In a telling moment earlier in December, Trump mentioned a "big event on Friday at the Trump-Kennedy Centre" before correcting himself to "the Kennedy Centre," which prompted laughter from his audience. He was referring to the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, where he received a peace prize.
This controversy follows a pattern of rebranding under Trump's administration. Earlier in 2025, he transformed the White House's Kennedy-era Rose Garden into a patio with paving stones and demolished the East Wing for a new ballroom. He also renamed the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" and rebranded the United States Institute of Peace as the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.
