Somebody Bought Trump–Kennedy Centre Domain Websites So Trump Will Not Have Them

As controversy swirls around claims that Donald Trump has attached his name to the Kennedy Centre, Washington's most prestigious arts venue, a comedian has quietly made a pointed digital move to stop the branding in its tracks.

Satirist Toby Morton has purchased multiple 'Trump–Kennedy Center' domain names, saying he wanted to prevent their use amid what critics describe as the politicisation of a national cultural institution.

The episode has ignited debate over legality, ego branding, and the growing role of digital satire in modern political protest.

Role of a Contemporary Satirist

In anticipation of the political environment and the potential of Trump to associate himself with the Kennedy Centre, Morton bought the domain names trumpkennedycenter.org and trumpkennedycenter.com.

Morton said he pursued his proactive acquisitions of domains because he foresaw Trump making this move to politicise the centre, particularly when the President started to restructure its board this year.

When Trump started dismantling the Kennedy Centre board earlier this year, Morton thought to himself, 'Yep, that name's going on the building,' he told The Washington Post.

His domain purchases were meant as a kind of digital satire of the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

'The Kennedy Centre has always been a cultural institution meant to outlast any one administration or personality. It's meant to honour culture, not ego,' Morton said. 'Once it was treated like personal branding, satire became unavoidable,' he added.

Morton has a history of parody websites, even beyond the Kennedy Centre, including websites of political leaders like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Rep. Nancy Mace.

A Digital Protest

The fact that Morton bought the domain names and considered establishing parody sites highlights a broader pattern of applying digital satire in response to political events.

Even though Morton has yet to fill the website with content, he hinted at creating content that underscores the Trump administration, promising the public lots of surprises that capture the bizarre reality of the moment.

Morton sought to set a scene in which she could express herself satirically if such a thing happened by preemptively registering these areas, thereby transforming cyberspace into a battlefield of cultural criticism.

Trump's Involvement

In December 2025, the Kennedy Centre suddenly announced it would be renamed the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre following the board of trustees' unanimous vote.

Legal experts and arts and cultural workers criticised this action, calling it illegal and a pure case of ego branding.

When the name Trump was put on the front of the building, and the centre changed the name on all its sites and across all social networks, it turned what had been seen as a symbol of American cultural diplomacy into a political statement.

Critics pointed out that this move is against the spirit and letter of the longstanding legislation, especially the one signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson that made the centre a national cultural institution in honour of President John F. Kennedy.

Legal experts have indicated that the renaming is in violation of the 1964 legislation memorialising President Kennedy. This renaming, unilaterally and without due legislative approval, has attracted lawsuits and calls to have the act reviewed by the law.

Implication Beyond The Courts

The American College Theatre Festival cut off its relationship with the Kennedy Centre, which it had maintained over time, claiming that the institution was becoming politicised. Also, famous Jazz artist Chuck Redd cancelled a concert he had been playing at the centre on Christmas Eve, claiming he was uncomfortable with the centre's new branding.

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) filed a lawsuit arguing that the board's final ruling to alter the name was not legally binding and, as such, invalid.

According to critics, the renaming is a way of turning a sacred cultural site into an instrument of political narcissism. In contrast, the site's initial idea was to support culture and facilitate cultural exchange without political interference.

Morton's domain purchases highlight how digital tools are increasingly used to challenge the perceived overreach of power. What once played out through protest or parody television now unfolds online, where control of a web address can itself become a form of commentary.

As legal battles continue, the Trump–Kennedy Centre dispute has become a broader test of how culture, politics, and the internet collide in modern America.