John F. Kennedy Center Set for Controversial Name Change to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, According to White House Announcement.
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The board of trustees of the prestigious performing arts venue has approved a measure to be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.
White House Spokesperson 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 prestige and accomplishment," Leavitt continued.
The intended name change is shaping up as highly controversial, notably in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an architectural and cultural icon since its completion and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Background of the Center
Soon after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's sitting board members and named loyalists in their positions. The freshly appointed board subsequently voted to appoint Trump as chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in congressional funding to cover major renovations and associated costs at the national venue.
Historical Roots
The vision for a federal performing arts center was first proposed in the 1950s. Following the murder of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was dedicated to his memory.
Further details are emerging. More details will be published soon.
