On December 18, 2025, the Kennedy Center in D.C. announced the changing of their name to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The moves comes following a vote from the Board of Trustees, said to be unanimous.
The move has naturally sparked outcry from many, with artists, legal scholars, and the Kennedy family themselves weighing in on the issue. “The Kennedy Center was named after my uncle, President John F. Kennedy,” says Maria Shriver on X. “It was named in his honor. He was a man who was interested in the arts, interested in culture, interested in education, language, history. He brought the arts into the White House, and he and my Aunt Jackie amplified the arts, celebrated the arts, stood up for the arts and artists.”
As a living memorial to Kennedy, the center was named by Congress in the year following his assassination. According to legal scholars, the law stipulates that no other individual is allowed to be memorialized by the center or place their name on the exterior. “The Kennedy Center was named by law,” says former House historian Ray Smock. “To change the name would require a revision of that 1964 law. The Kennedy Center board is not a lawmaking entity. Congress makes laws.”
Richard Grenell, who worked with President Trump’s first administration, claims that the move comes in recognition of the latter’s work in saving the center from disrepair. “The roof was leaking. We didn’t have fountains that worked, the place was crumbling,” alleged Grenell. “I believe it was almost criminal to just ignore the place for decades.”
As the story develops, this article will update to reflect any changes.