(AFP) – US President Donald Trump sealed his takeover of Washington’s famed Kennedy Center on Thursday after the White House said the institution’s board voted to rename it the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” Trump hand-picked new board members of the US national cultural center and installed himself as chairman earlier this year, as part of a crackdown on institutions he branded too woke.
But family members of slain US president John F. Kennedy, after whom the arts venue is named, slammed the decision as “beyond wild” and said it could not be renamed without the approval of Congress. Adding his own name to the storied venue is the latest in a series of grandiose Trump schemes including the demolition of the White House East Wing to build a $400-million ballroom, and planning a large triumphal arch.
“I was surprised by it, I was honored by it,” Trump told reporters after the announcement of the board decision — despite having repeatedly talked about a name change for the center in the past. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the “highly respected” board of the Kennedy center had “voted unanimously” to take the extraordinary step of renaming it after a living president. Leavitt said it was “because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building.”
“Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future!” she added. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The imposing white-marble arts center, which sits on the banks of the Potomac River, opened in 1971. The website of the Kennedy center later had a new “Trump-Kennedy Center” logo.
But the move met fierce condemnation from the Kennedy family, America’s most storied political clan. “Can we not see what is happening here? C’mon, my fellow Americans! Wake up!” JFK’s niece Maria Shriver said on X. She added that it was “beyond wild” of Trump to think it was acceptable to add his name before her uncle’s. Former congressman Joe Kennedy III said the center was a “living memorial” to his great-uncle and “can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.” The full name of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is set out in federal statute. Congress created the center in 1958 and later renamed it by law to honor Kennedy after his assassination.
– ‘Whoops’ – Democrats meanwhile denied that the vote was unanimous. Joyce Beatty, a lawmaker from Ohio who still holds a place on the board through a congressional mandate, said she was “muted on the call.” Trump had hinted at the name change on a number of occasions in recent months. Earlier this month he referred to a “big event at the Trump-Kennedy Center, whoops, excuse me, at the Kennedy Center… Pardon me, such a terrible mistake.” Trump made the comments at a peace institute that had also been recently renamed after him.
Since his return to office he has also named a new “golden” visa and bank accounts for newborns after himself. The Kennedy Center has sparked Trump’s ire since his first term. Until this year he had never attended the annual fundraising gala for recipients of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, as many of those artists vocally opposed his policies. But in his second term, Trump moved quickly to make the center his own.
He rid the board of trustees of its Democratic appointees, ousted its president, and packed it with allies as part of a wider assault on federally funded cultural institutions he deemed too “woke.” The construction tycoon has also taken a personal interest in revamping the building, making a number of visits to inspect work on the center and raving about the white marble he was bringing in. Trump finally presented the honors this year himself, giving awards to “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone, disco legend Gloria Gaynor, and rock band KISS. Days earlier, at the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on December 5, Trump received a new peace prize from football’s governing body and made a speech on stage.
– Danny KEMP
© 2024 AFP
