Kennedy Center Moves for Significant Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, According to Administration Statement.
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The leadership board of the prestigious performing arts venue has approved a measure to adopt a new name the Trump-Kennedy Center, according to a statement from the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared online that the board's approval was consensus, attributing it to "the extraordinary job President Trump has done over the last year in preserving the building."
"This promises to be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt reach new levels of grandeur and success," Leavitt noted.
The intended name change is shaping up as deeply divisive, especially in Washington, D.C., where the center has served as an iconic landmark since its construction and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Recent History of the Venue
Shortly after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's incumbent trustees and installed supporters in their positions. The newly constituted board then voted to name Trump the chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in congressional funding to finance significant upgrades and associated costs at the aging venue.
Original Concept
The vision for a national performing arts center began in the 1950s. Following the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the future venue was christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
This report is being updated. Further context will be published soon.
