Kennedy Center Set for Major Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Center, Per Administration Announcement.
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The board of trustees of the iconic performing arts venue has approved a measure to change its name the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared online that the board's approval was consensus, citing "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 reach new levels of prestige and accomplishment," Leavitt continued.
The proposed move is shaping up as highly controversial, notably in Washington, D.C., where the center has served as an beloved institution since its construction and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Context of the Institution
Not long after taking office, President Donald Trump replaced all the center's existing board members and appointed supporters in their stead. The reconstituted board then voted to appoint Trump as chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in congressional funding to cover major renovations and other financial needs at the aging venue.
Inception
The concept for a Washington-based 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 christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Further details are emerging. More details will be added as it becomes available.
