John F. Kennedy Center Set for Controversial Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, According to White House Announcement.
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The governing board of the iconic performing arts venue has approved a measure to adopt a new name the Trump-Kennedy Center, as confirmed by the White House.
White House Spokesperson 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 will 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, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an beloved institution since its completion and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Recent History of the Venue
Soon after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump fired all the center's existing board members and installed supporters in their stead. The reconstituted board later moved to elect Trump chairman.
The president was instrumental in securing approximately $257 million in federal funds to pay for significant upgrades and associated costs at the historic venue.
Inception
The idea for a federal performing arts center was first proposed in the 1950s. Following the murder of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
This report is being updated. Additional information will be provided shortly.
