🔗 Share this article John F. Kennedy Center Set for Significant Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Center, As Stated by White House Announcement. Image Source The board of trustees of the iconic performing arts venue has voted to adopt a new name the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared online that the board's vote was unified, attributing it to "the extraordinary job President Trump has done over the last year in rescuing the building." "This will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur," Leavitt noted. The intended name change is shaping up as highly controversial, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has stood as an architectural and cultural icon since its completion and original naming for President John F. Kennedy. Background of the Institution Soon after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump replaced all the center's sitting board members and appointed supporters in their stead. The freshly appointed board subsequently voted to elect Trump chairman. The president later secured approximately $257 million in congressional funding to cover major renovations and associated costs at the national venue. Inception The vision for a federal performing arts center began in the 1950s. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the planned venue was christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This is a developing story. More details will be added as it becomes available.