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The leadership board of the prestigious performing arts venue has decided 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 decision was unanimous, crediting "the tremendous efforts President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building."
"This will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt reach new levels of success and grandeur," Leavitt noted.
The planned renaming is expected to be highly controversial, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has stood as an architectural and cultural icon since its construction and dedication for President John F. Kennedy.
Soon after assuming the presidency, President Donald Trump fired all the center's existing board members and appointed supporters in their stead. The freshly appointed board then voted to appoint Trump as chairman.
The president helped procure approximately $257 million in federal funds to cover significant upgrades and associated costs at the aging venue.
The idea for a national 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.
This is a developing story. Further context will be added as it becomes available.
