The board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted unanimously Thursday to rename the Washington performing arts institution to honor late President John F. Kennedy and President Donald Trump, according to a statement from the center.
The facility, commonly called the Kennedy Center, will be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center.
"The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," center spokeswoman Roma Daravi said in a statement.
"The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction. The new Trump Kennedy Center reflects the unequivocal bipartisan support for America's cultural center for generations to come."
The vote took place during a board meeting, according to a source familiar with the matter, during which Trump called in, CNN reported.
The president has frequently joked about calling the performing arts center the "Trump-Kennedy Center."
Trump added a slate of allies, donors, and administration figures to the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees since returning to office, including himself as the board's chairman.
Other appointees include Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff; Dan Scavino, a deputy chief of staff; and Usha Vance, the second lady of the United States.
The board additions also include several prominent Republican donors and philanthropists, among them Allison Lutnick, a philanthropist and the wife of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick; Lynda Lomangino, a longtime Republican donor; Mindy Levine, a philanthropist and political donor; Pamela Gross, a Republican donor; John Falconetti, a Republican fundraiser; and Cheri Summerall, a political donor.
Other appointees include Sergio Gor, a Trump adviser and political operative; Emilia May Fanjul, a businesswoman and philanthropist; Patricia Duggan, a conservative donor and arts patron; and Dana Blumberg, a physician and philanthropist.
The appointments have reshaped the board's composition, placing it largely in the hands of individuals aligned with the president's political and cultural priorities.
Democrat Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex officio member of the board, claimed in a tweet on X that she was muted on the conference call and "not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move."
The center was established in 1958 as a national cultural center and was later renamed in honor of Kennedy, following his assassination in 1963.
The building opened in 1971 along the Potomac River in Washington and has since served as the nation's premier performing arts venue, presenting theater, dance, classical music, jazz, and popular performances.
The center operates as a public-private partnership, receiving federal funding for building maintenance while relying heavily on private donations and ticket sales to support programming.
Its board of trustees includes presidential appointees and members of Congress serving in ex officio roles.
Trump has previously criticized the center's past programming and has proposed cutting federal funding for the arts, saying some programs promote political bias. He has expressed interest in reshaping the Kennedy Center to reflect a different vision for national arts and culture.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt celebrated the decision in a post on X.
"I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building," she wrote.
"Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation. Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future!" she added.
"The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur."
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