Kennedy Center Set for Controversial Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, According to White House Announcement.
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The leadership board of the renowned performing arts venue has voted to be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on social media that the board's vote was unified, attributing it to "the extraordinary job President Trump has done over the last year in rescuing the building."
"This will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt reach new levels of prestige and accomplishment," Leavitt noted.
The proposed move is likely to prove deeply divisive, notably in Washington, D.C., where the center has stood as an architectural and cultural icon since its founding and dedication for President John F. Kennedy.
Context of the Venue
Not long after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump fired all the center's sitting board members and named supporters in their positions. The reconstituted board later moved to appoint Trump as chairman.
The president later secured approximately $257 million in appropriated money to finance major renovations and associated costs at the aging venue.
Original Concept
The vision for a Washington-based performing arts center originated in the 1950s. Following the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the future venue was named in his honor.
This is a developing story. Additional information will be published soon.
