US President Donald Trump has added another unmistakable mark to the landscape of Washington, ordering a historic name change for the nation’s most prestigious performing arts venue.
The iconic Kennedy Center, named after slain former US President John F. Kennedy, will now be known as the “Trump-Kennedy Centre” following a unanimous vote by its board, the White House confirmed on Thursday.
The decision marks a rare and extraordinary moment in US history, effectively naming the landmark arts institution after a sitting president.
“The move follows Trump’s return to power and his sweeping overhaul of institutions he has long criticised, including the Kennedy Center, which he previously dismissed as “too woke.”
Reacting to the announcement, Trump said he was taken aback by the development.
“I was surprised by it; I was honoured by it,” the 79-year-old Republican told reporters, even though he had openly discussed changing the centre’s name in the past.
Trump currently serves as head of the board after reshaping its membership earlier this year. Shortly after beginning his second term in January, he removed Democratic appointees and personally selected new board members, consolidating control of the institution.
The first public confirmation of the renaming came from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who announced the decision in a post on X.
“The highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously” to approve the new name, Leavitt said.
She credited the decision to what she described as Trump’s role in reviving the centre.
According to her, it was “because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building. Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction but also financially and its reputation.”
Leavitt added: “Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future!”
The renaming comes amid a series of ambitious projects announced by Trump, including plans for a $400 million ballroom at the White House and the construction of a grand triumphal arch.
President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and the white-marble arts centre that bears his legacy opened in 1971 along the banks of the Potomac River. With its new name, the venue now reflects a blend of past presidential legacy and Trump’s unmistakable imprint on modern Washington.
