Kennedy Center Votes for Major Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, According to White House Statement.
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The leadership board of the prestigious performing arts venue has decided to change its name the Trump-Kennedy Center, as confirmed by the White House.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated on social media that the board's approval was consensus, citing "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 attain new levels of grandeur and success," Leavitt noted.
The proposed move is likely to prove highly controversial, especially in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an iconic landmark since its founding and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Context of the Institution
Soon after beginning his term, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's sitting board members and installed supporters in their stead. The newly constituted board later moved to elect Trump chairman.
The president was instrumental in securing approximately $257 million in appropriated money to cover significant upgrades and associated costs at the national venue.
Original Concept
The concept for a Washington-based performing arts center was first proposed in the 1950s. Following the murder of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the planned venue was christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
This report is being updated. More details will be published soon.
