John F. Kennedy Center Votes for Major Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, Per White House Statement.
Image Source
The governing 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 declared online that the board's approval was consensus, crediting "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 achieve new levels of success and grandeur," Leavitt added.
The planned renaming is likely to prove extremely contentious, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has served as an architectural and cultural icon since its founding and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Context of the Institution
Not long after beginning his term, President Donald Trump replaced all the center's sitting board members and installed loyalists in their place. The freshly appointed board later moved to elect Trump chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in congressional funding to cover significant upgrades and other financial needs at the historic venue.
Inception
The vision for a federal performing arts center began in the 1950s. Following the tragic death 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.
Further details are emerging. More details will be provided shortly.
