White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that there’s going to be a name change to the Kennedy Center, rebranding it after President Donald Trump. Cut the leftist meltdown in 3-2-1.
In a post on Thursday on X, Leavitt revealed that in a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees overseeing the Kennedy Center, of which Trump is the chairman, it voted to rename the famed arts center The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts (and just Trump-Kennedy Center for short).
I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump…
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) December 18, 2025
Read More: Trump Announces Hard Rockers, a Punching Actor and a Country Music Legend As Kennedy Center Honorees
“I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building,” Leavitt’s post read.
“Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation,” she added. “Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur.”
The Center's vice president of public relations, Roma Daravi, said in an interview with Fox Digital that the name change recognizes the work Trump did to pull the center out of a financial hole. She confirmed the reports on the new name, adding that the "unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction."
SEE: Ric Grenell Drops Some Reality on Kennedy Center Performers Threatening Boycott of Trump Appearance
ALSO: Trump Honors the 2025 Kennedy Center Recipients With a Newly-Designed Medallion
At an Oval Office event on Thursday, Trump reacted to the name change.
.@POTUS: "I was surprised by it, and I was honored by it. We're saving the building... That building was in such bad shape — both physically, financially, and in every other way... The Kennedy Center is really back strongly." https://t.co/MH9ZFbsFv3 pic.twitter.com/uYQYTNkUiL
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 18, 2025
“I was surprised by it, and I was honored by it. We're saving the building... That building was in such bad shape — both physically, financially, and in every other way, and now it's very solid and very strong...The Kennedy Center is really back strongly,” the president shared. He went on to explain how his administration got massive donations raised in order to "save" the arts institution.
The rebranding comes after President Trump himself appeared to drop the idea that it might happen back in August.
Speaking to a press gaggle in the Oval Office, Trump talked about the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw taking place there, when he appeared to drop the name change idea.
'Some people refer to it as the Trump/Kennedy Center, but we're not prepared to do that quite yet. Maybe in a week or so.' https://t.co/8TksK2tCCx pic.twitter.com/eGwUjDTAGe
— Kim Runner (@kimrunner) August 22, 2025
“Some people refer to it as the Trump/Kennedy Center, but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet,” Trump said. “Maybe in a week or so.”
Later, Trump made a similar suggestion during a visit to the Kennedy Center.
The report read, according to the Fox New story linked above:
During a visit to the Kennedy Center in early December, Trump was asked whether he believed the performing arts center would eventually bear his name.
"I don’t know. I hear that, but I don’t know," Trump said, adding that any such decision would be made by the center’s "very prestigious" board.
Earlier in Dec., the State Department announced that the U.S. Institute of Peace building would be renamed to include Trump, given all the work he’s done to bring peace to the world, as RedState reported.
This morning, the State Department renamed the former Institute of Peace to reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation's history.
— Department of State (@StateDept) December 3, 2025
Welcome to the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. The best is yet to come. pic.twitter.com/v7DgkoZphn
The new title on the building reads, "Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace.”
Oh boy, if the construction of a grand ballroom at the White House caused a major leftist meltdown, I can only imagine what changing the name of their Kennedy Center is going to do. Popcorn, anyone?
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