Kennedy Center Set for Significant Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Center, Per Administration Announcement.
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The board of trustees of the prestigious performing arts venue has voted to change its name the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared online that the board's approval was consensus, crediting "the extraordinary job President Trump has done over the last year in rescuing the building."
"This is destined to be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of grandeur and success," Leavitt continued.
The planned renaming is likely to prove deeply divisive, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has served as an beloved institution since its construction and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Recent History of the Center
Not long after beginning his term, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's incumbent trustees and appointed allies in their stead. The reconstituted board then voted to name Trump the chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in federal funds to pay for extensive repairs and other financial needs at the aging venue.
Historical Roots
The idea for a national performing arts center began in the 1950s. Following the murder of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
This is a developing story. Further context will be added as it becomes available.
