Washington’s top performing arts venue has been pulled into a fresh political fight after the White House confirmed it will now carry President Donald Trump’s name alongside John F Kennedy’s.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday, December 18, 2025 that the Kennedy Center board voted unanimously to rename the institution the “Trump-Kennedy Center”. She framed the move as recognition for what she described as Trump’s role in “saving the building” through reconstruction, finances and reputation.

Trump later told reporters he was “honored” by the decision and repeated the claim that his administration “saved the building”.

A Memorial Created by Congress

The Kennedy Center was established as a “living memorial” to JFK through an act of Congress and was dedicated in 1964. The venue in Washington, DC opened on September 8, 1971 and was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone.

That origin is now central to the backlash, because the name and purpose are tied to federal law rather than just branding choices.

Opponents argue the board cannot simply rewrite the venue’s name because it is defined in law as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, has pointed to a federal statute dated December 2, 1983 which he says blocks additional memorials or plaques in the public areas of the Kennedy Center and by extension attempts to rename it.

How This Escalated in 2025

The renaming follows months of political pressure to attach the Trump name to the institution.

In July, Missouri Representative Bob Onder introduced the “Make Entertainment Great Again Act”, which pushed for the centre to be renamed for Trump. Separately, the House Appropriations Committee advanced a proposal to rename the Kennedy Center Opera House for First Lady Melania Trump in a 33–25 vote.

Trump has also moved to reshape the Kennedy Center’s leadership since early 2025 and has criticised what he called “woke” leadership and programming.