Trump Amplifies Call To Remove Kennedy's Name From Kennedy Centre To Just Make It Trump Centre

President Donald Trump has intensified calls to affix his own name to the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts and transform the cultural landmark into what supporters now call the Trump-Kennedy Centre, a move that has triggered legal challenges, family condemnation, political backlash and a widening rift in America's cultural community.

Since the Trump-aligned board of trustees voted in December 2025 to add his name to the nation's premier performing arts venue, controversy has engulfed the institution established by Congress as a memorial to President Kennedy. Critics argue the decision may violate federal law and undermine the centre's founding mission.

Trump's Push To Rename Kennedy Centre

The Kennedy Centre's board of trustees, dominated by members appointed by Trump, voted to rename the institution 'The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Centre for the Performing Arts', also referred to informally as the 'Trump-Kennedy Centre'. The board's spokeswoman said the change was to honour what it described as Trump's role in 'saving the building' financially and structurally.

Hours after the vote, workers installed new signage on the building's exterior and the centre's website was updated to reflect the new name. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on social media that the renaming was due to the 'unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building ... financially, and its reputation.'

Trump himself, now chairman of the board, called the decision 'very special' and expressed honour at its outcome at a White House press event.

However, some trustees present at the vote dispute the characterisation of unanimity. Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty (Ohio), an ex-officio board member, said she was present virtually and was muted when she tried to oppose the renaming. She has since filed a federal lawsuit seeking to nullify the board's action.

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that the board exceeded its statutory authority and violated federal law by attempting to rename a memorial establishment that Congress itself designated to honour President Kennedy. The complaint seeks to revoke the name change, remove the new signage, and prevent further rebranding without congressional approval.

Legal Authority And Congressional Mandate

Under Public Law 88-260 (1964), Congress designated the facility as the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts as a living national memorial to the 35th president. That statute restricts the placement of additional plaques or memorials on the site without legislative action.

Legal scholars and lawmakers emphasise that only Congress can legally alter such designations. Critics say the board's actions, and Trump's embrace of the new title, usurp congressional authority and potentially contravene longstanding federal statutes governing memorials.

Senate Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Representative Rick Larsen released a joint statement asserting that the board's vote 'has no authority' to rename the venue absent legislative action, and pledged to challenge it through legislative means.

Kennedy Family Outrage And Broader Political Backlash

Members of the Kennedy family have publicly condemned the attempt to entwine Trump's name with a memorial dedicated to their patriarch. Maria Shriver, niece of John F. Kennedy, described the effort as 'beyond comprehension' and 'beyond wild,' arguing that affixing Trump's name ahead of her uncle's was deeply inappropriate.

Jack Schlossberg, JFK's grandson and a candidate for Congress, criticised claims of unanimous board support, noting that microphones were cut off during the vote and asserting that the change was politically motivated.

Other family members have voiced similar indignation. Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, said Trump's name should not be placed alongside that of a president who stood for dignity, diversity, and justice — values she suggested were at odds with Trump's policies.

Former US Representative Joe Kennedy III echoed legal concerns, emphasising that the centre is a federal memorial that Congress specifically named and that unilateral renaming 'can no more be done than renaming the Lincoln Memorial.'

Trump's latest push to install his name atop the Kennedy Centre has not only redrawn its façade but reopened deep debates about constitutional authority, federal law, and the preservation of American memorials and cultural institutions.