Kennedy Center begins process to add Trump's name to building

WASHINGTON — The Kennedy Center began the process Friday to add Donald Trump’s name to the exterior of the performing arts center, a day after the institution’s handpicked board voted to approve the change. The plan would rewrite the building’s official designation as The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, the facility originally named to honor President John F. Kennedy. The center, located in Washington, D.C., has said little publicly since the vote, and Trump, a Republican, serves as chairman of the board.

Blue tarps were hung in front of the building to block views of the work underway on scaffolding, and a large letter D, followed by the words The Donald, appeared at the entrance as crews began the work. The scene underscored the early stage of a process that, if completed, would place Trump’s name on one of the nation’s best-known cultural institutions.

Critics, including Democratic members of Congress who sit on the board ex-officio, have questioned the legality and propriety of a name change. They point to a 1964 law that created the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to Kennedy and that prohibits the board from memorializing another person or altering the exterior to add a new name. Ray Smock, a former House historian, said in an email that any change would require a revision of the law, noting that the Kennedy Center board is not a lawmaking body.

The legal question has become a focal point for opponents who say only Congress can alter the center’s designation. The 1964 law explicitly named the center as a memorial to Kennedy, and critics argue that the board’s action would amount to a statutory change that would require congressional action. Supporters, however, have framed the move as a matter of honoring a prominent national figure who has a long history with the institution and with public life.

Some Kennedy family members oppose the renaming. The family’s stance adds another layer of sensitivity to a decision that remains politically charged in Washington. The Kennedy Center’s leadership has not publicly discussed potential legislative steps or timelines for completion of the renaming process, and a request for comment Friday was not answered.

The Kennedy Center is not the first Washington building to bear Trump’s name in recent years; he has also been associated with naming changes at other federal or national institutions. Separately, Trump recently had his name added to a federal building in connection with the U.S. Institute of Peace, a move noted by observers as part of a broader pattern of naming changes linked to his administration and affiliated boards. Officials emphasized that the current renaming project remains subject to legal review and potential congressional action, if pursued.

As construction proceeds, observers will be watching for any updates on the legal process and on how the center will address questions about tradition, governance, and the role of Congress in maintaining or altering a national memorial. The Kennedy Center is expected to continue to provide updates as they become available.