Washington: The board of the Kennedy Center has voted unanimously to rename the iconic performing arts institution as the Trump-Kennedy Center, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced.
Leavitt said the decision was taken by what she described as “the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center,” comprising “some of the most successful people from all parts of the world.”
She said the move followed what the board viewed as President Donald Trump’s role in stabilising and restoring the institution over the past year.
“They have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building,” Leavitt said in a statement on X.
She said Trump’s contribution was seen as extending beyond physical reconstruction to the centre’s finances and public standing. “Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation,” she said.
Leavitt congratulated Trump on the decision and linked the renaming to the legacy of former President John F. Kennedy, after whom the centre was originally named.
“Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future,” she said.
She added that the renamed institution was expected to reach new heights. “The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur,” Leavitt said.
The announcement did not provide additional details on when the name change would formally take effect or whether any further approvals would be required.
The Kennedy Center, located along the Potomac River in Washington, is one of the United States’ most prominent cultural institutions, hosting performances across music, theatre, dance and opera. It has long served as a national venue for the performing arts, attracting artists and audiences from around the world.
Named after President John F. Kennedy, the center was established as a living memorial following his assassination and opened to the public in 1971. It has traditionally been overseen by a board of trustees and supported through a mix of federal funding, private donations and earned revenue from performances and events.
(IANS)
