Kennedy Center Renaming to Include Trump's Name Requires Act of Congress, Lawmakers Affirm
The Kennedy Center board voted to add President Trump's name, but lawmakers confirm an act of Congress is legally required for renaming, facing strong family opposition.
Overview
- The Kennedy Center's board of trustees, chaired by President Trump, voted to rename the institution to include his name, despite existing legal and congressional concerns.
- The proposed new names include "Trump Kennedy Center" or "The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts," though some board members expressed dissent.
- Congress originally established the Kennedy Center in 1964 as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, with President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the renaming act into law.
- Kennedy family members strongly oppose renaming the center, while critics and historians argue that only Congress possesses the legal authority for such a significant change.
- Lawmakers have affirmed that changing the Kennedy Center's name to include Trump's name legally requires an explicit act of Congress, making the board's vote non-binding without legislative approval.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by collectively emphasizing the questionable legality and procedural irregularities surrounding the Kennedy Center's renaming. They highlight legal expert opinions, bipartisan lawmaker concerns, and a board member's claims of being muted, creating a narrative that questions the legitimacy and transparency of the Trump administration's actions in affixing the name.
"The arts mecca envisioned by Eisenhower opened in 1971 and was named as a "living memorial" to Kennedy by Congress after his assassination."
NPR"The move prompted outrage from Democrats and members of the Kennedy family."
CBS News"The biggest change occurred in December, when the Trump-appointed board of trustees voted to rename the center the Trump Kennedy Center."
Business Insider"The Kennedy Center started the work of adding Donald Trump's name to the building on Friday, a day after the president's handpicked board voted to do so."
ABC News"Beatty criticized the process as lacking transparency and public input."
USA TODAY"The center's board, which Trump chairs, is made up of mostly members handpicked by the president."
USA TODAY"It does not appear that officials in the Trump administration heeded those legal concerns, which were shared by lawmakers in both parties on Thursday, before installing his name on the building Friday."
NBC News"The center was named for Kennedy as a memorial to the late president, who was assassinated in 1963."
Deadline"The Kennedy Center started the work of adding Donald Trump’s name to the building on Friday, a day after the president’s handpicked board voted to do so."
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FAQ
The Kennedy Center was established by Congress in 1964 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy through federal legislation that named and designated its purpose. Because the name is set by statute, changing it would require repealing or amending that law—an act of Congress—rather than a decision by the center's private board of trustees.
President Trump served as chair of the Kennedy Center board of trustees and led a board vote that approved adding his name to the center; however, that vote is advisory or internal and cannot effect a legal name change without Congress passing legislation to amend the statute that currently names the institution.
The Kennedy family has strongly opposed adding Trump's name, arguing it would violate the spirit of the living memorial to John F. Kennedy. Historians and critics also contend that renaming a memorialized federal institution undermines historical intent and that only Congress can legally authorize such a change.
Congress would need to introduce and pass legislation amending or repealing the statute that established the Kennedy Center's name and purpose, with approval by both the House and Senate and the president's signature (or a two-thirds override of a veto). That bill would explicitly authorize the new name.
History
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