John F. Kennedy Center Moves for Major Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Center, According to White House Announcement.
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The board of trustees of the prestigious performing arts venue has voted to change its name the Trump-Kennedy Center, according to a statement from the White House.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced via a post that the board's vote was unified, crediting "the tremendous efforts 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 prestige and accomplishment," Leavitt added.
The proposed move is expected to be highly controversial, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has served as an architectural and cultural icon since its founding and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Recent History of the Institution
Not long after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump fired all the center's sitting board members and named loyalists in their place. The freshly appointed board subsequently voted to appoint Trump as chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in appropriated money to pay for major renovations and associated costs at the aging venue.
Original Concept
The idea for a national performing arts center originated in the 1950s. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Further details are emerging. More details will be published soon.
