Kennedy Center Votes for Major Renaming to Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts Center, Per Administration Announcement.
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The board of trustees of the iconic performing arts venue has approved a measure 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, 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 attain 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 served as an architectural and cultural icon since its founding and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.
Background of the Venue
Not long after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump replaced all the center's incumbent trustees and named supporters in their stead. The freshly appointed board later moved to name Trump the chairman.
The president was instrumental in securing approximately $257 million in appropriated money to pay for major renovations and operational expenses at the aging venue.
Original Concept
The idea for a federal performing arts center originated in the 1950s. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the future venue was named in his honor.
This report is being updated. More details will be provided shortly.
