John F. Kennedy Center Votes for Controversial Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, Per Administration Statement.
Image Source
The board of trustees of the renowned performing arts venue has voted to adopt a new name the Trump-Kennedy Center, as confirmed by the White House.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced via a post that the board's approval was consensus, citing "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 grandeur and success," Leavitt noted.
The proposed move is likely to prove highly controversial, notably in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an beloved institution since its founding and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Context of the Center
Not long after beginning his term, President Donald Trump fired all the center's incumbent trustees and named loyalists in their place. The reconstituted board subsequently voted to elect Trump chairman.
The president was instrumental in securing approximately $257 million in federal funds to cover major renovations and associated costs at the historic venue.
Original Concept
The concept for a Washington-based 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 named in his honor.
This is a developing story. More details will be added as it becomes available.
