Kennedy Center Set for Significant Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, Per White House Statement.
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The leadership board of the iconic performing arts venue has decided to be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt declared online that the board's approval was consensus, attributing it to "the extraordinary job President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building."
"This will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt achieve new levels of prestige and accomplishment," Leavitt noted.
The proposed move is shaping up as highly controversial, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an architectural and cultural icon since its founding and dedication for President John F. Kennedy.
Context of the Institution
Not long after beginning his term, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's sitting board members and named loyalists in their positions. The reconstituted board then voted to name Trump the chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in congressional funding to pay for significant upgrades and other financial needs at the historic venue.
Original Concept
The concept for a national performing arts center originated in the 1950s. Following the murder of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the future venue was named in his honor.
This report is being updated. Additional information will be provided shortly.
