Board votes to add the President's name to the congressionally named institution; signage installed the next day

OtherEOP

Date
Actor
Kennedy Center Board of Trustees; President Trump
Agency
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Type
Other
Section
SUPPLEMENT: THE KENNEDY CENTER TAKEOVER IS ABSENT FROM THE CULTURAL-INSTITUTIONS RECORD, THOUGH THE SMITHSONIAN, NEA, NEH, IMLS, AND NPS ACTIONS ARE ALL COVERED

Summary

The board votes to rename the institution "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," and exterior signage and digital branding are changed on December 19, 2025. Dissenting trustees, including ex officio trustees, were reported to have been prevented from participating in the meeting. The vote triggered a further wave of artist withdrawals and cancellations.

Status

Vacated by court order. Judge Cooper held on May 29, 2026 that only Congress can change the name; the lettering was removed from the façade on June 12–13, 2026 (see 2026-06-13).

As recorded in the data of . Check the sources for anything newer.

Related litigation

Sources