John F. Kennedy Center Moves for Major Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Center, According to Administration Announcement.
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The board of trustees of the iconic performing arts venue has approved a measure to be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced via a post 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 likely to prove deeply divisive, notably in Washington, D.C., where the center has stood as an iconic landmark since its founding and christening for President John F. Kennedy.
Recent History of the Institution
Soon after beginning his term, President Donald Trump fired all the center's existing board members and named supporters in their positions. The reconstituted board subsequently voted to appoint Trump as chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in congressional funding to cover significant upgrades and other financial needs at the national venue.
Original Concept
The concept for a national performing arts center was first proposed in the 1950s. Following the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was named in his honor.
This report is being updated. More details will be provided shortly.
