Kennedy Center: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will now carry the name of both former President John F. Kennedy and US president Donald Trump after a vote by its board of trustees on Thursday.
In a statement, center spokeswoman Roma Daravi said that, “The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” adding, “The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction. The new Trump Kennedy Center reflects the unequivocal bipartisan support for America’s cultural center for generations to come,” as quoted by CNN.
The vote took place during a board meeting in which Trump participated by phone, reported CNN, citing a source familiar with the matter. Trump was elected chair of the Kennedy Center in February by a newly constituted board and has previously joked about calling the venue the “Trump Kennedy Center.”
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Trump said during an event in the Oval Office on Thursday that he was honored and surprised by the decision, saying, “This was brought up by one of the very distinguished board members, and they voted on it, and there’s a lot of board members, and they voted unanimously,” as quoted by CNN.
However, that claim was challenged by Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio member of the board, who said the vote was “not unanimous.” In a video posted to X, Beatty said that, “I was on that call and as I tried to push my button to voice my concern, to ask questions, and certainly not to vote in support of this, I was muted. Each time I tried to speak, I was muted,” as quoted by CNN.
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Meanwhile, Trump also said the Kennedy Center has seen “record-setting numbers” of donors under his administration and said he plans to work with Congress to secure additional funding. He said, “We’re saving the building. We saved the building. The building was in such bad shape, both physically, financially and every other way. And now it’s very solid, very strong,” as quoted by CNN.
What happened to the Kennedy Center’s name?
The Kennedy Center was renamed to include both John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump after a board vote.
Was the Kennedy Center board vote unanimous?
The board said it was unanimous, but Rep. Joyce Beatty disputed that claim.
