On Dec. 19, 2025, workers painted Donald Trump’s name onto the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., after a board vote that some lawmakers and Kennedy family members say was not unanimous.
Board Vote and Renaming Decision
The Kennedy Center’s board voted to add Trump’s name, a spokeswoman for the D.C. cultural institution and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. The new name, “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” was described as a unanimous decision by board member Roma Daravi. However, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D‑Ohio, disputed that the vote was unanimous, writing on X, “For the record. This was not unanimous. I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move.”
Public and Family Response
Trump said he was honored, “Well, I was honored. The board is a very distinguished board. Most distinguished people in the country.” Leavitt said the name change recognizes Trump’s work to improve the institution. Kennedy family members reacted strongly: Maria Shriver called the move “downright weird” on X; Jack Schlossberg said, “My grandparents would be mortified, and rightfully so.” Former Rep. Joseph Kennedy III added, “The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”
Legal and Congressional Hurdles
A name change would require an act of Congress, and it is unclear whether the Senate would provide the 60 votes needed. Efforts to rename the Kennedy Center could run into legal hurdles, experts told NBC News in July after Republican lawmakers introduced several proposals in Congress. The original laws that guided the creation of the Kennedy Center during the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson administrations specifically prohibited renaming the building.
Rapid Implementation
The logo on the Kennedy Center website was updated Thursday to read “The Trump Kennedy Center.” Blue tarps covered an exterior wall on Friday, blocking views of crews installing new letters above the sign reading “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Workers adjusted the name on the wall on Dec. 19, 2025. Within a month of his second term, Trump had ousted the institution’s leadership, filled the board of trustees with supporters and announced he had been elected the board’s chair.
Key Takeaways
- The Kennedy Center’s board voted to rename the facility, a move disputed as not unanimous by Rep. Beatty.
- Donald Trump and Kennedy family members publicly opposed the change, citing legal and memorial concerns.
- Renaming would require congressional action; current Senate support is uncertain.
The renaming of the Kennedy Center has sparked intense debate over the preservation of historical memorials and the role of politics in federal institutions.
