Members of former President John F. Kennedy’s family are riled up about the prospect of President Donald Trump’s name being added to the Kennedy Center in Washington.
Joe Kennedy III, President John F. Kennedy’s grandnephew and a former Massachusetts Congressman, wrote on X that ‘The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law.’
He also noted that ‘it can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.’
Another member of the Kennedy Clan, John F. Kennedy’s niece Maria Shriver, also objected to the announcement.
‘Some things leave you speechless, and enraged, and in a state of disbelief. At times such as that, it’s better to be quiet,’ Shriver wrote.
‘For how long, I can’t say. TDS in full display,’ she added.
Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg, a progressive social media star who is currently in the midst of his own run for Congress, saw the renaming as a direct attack on him.
‘Trump explicitly motivated to act by JACK FOR NEW YORK,’ read a message posted by his campaign on X, adding that his run for office ‘represents everything Trump can’t stand or defeat.’
President Donald J. Trump hosts THE 48TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, which will broadcast Tuesday, December 23
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (centre) is greeted by Joe Kennedy III (second left) and Jack Schlossberg, the only grandson of John F. Kennedy (left), as he arrives at the President John F. Kennedy library on Monday March 11, 2024
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared earlier Thursday that the Kennedy Center’s Board of Directors voted unanimously rebrand the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, in a move that was expected to outrage DC’s arts community and Democrats nationwide.
The Kennedy Center Board is made up of both voting and non-voting members. The unanimous vote was cast by those loyal to Trump, while non-voting ex-officio members did not cast ballots.
One of those members, Democrat Congresswoman Joyce Beatty posted a video to X voicing her opposition.
‘For the record. This was not unanimous. I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move,’ Beatty wrote.
‘Also for the record, this was not on the agenda. This was not consensus. This is censorship,’ she added.
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell responded to Beatty, noting that ‘all ex officio Members never get to vote.’
Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump told reporters that he was ‘honored’ when he learned that the Kennedy Center’s Board voted to add his name to the iconic building.
‘The board is most distinguished people in the country. I was surprised by it. I was honored by it. We saved the building,’ Trump added.
During the Kennedy Center Honors earlier this month, Trump himself was asked by reporters if the entire Kennedy Center should bear his name.
He responded at the time that the decision should be left up to the institution’s board.
Grenell told the Daily Mail earlier this month that Trump’s real estate background saved the 54-year-old landmark from demolition.
‘When I arrived at our building, people and our engineers said we should tear down the Kennedy Center, completely start over, and go to Congress and ask for massive amounts of money,’ Grenell said.
Grenell took Trump on a tour to assess the damage firsthand. ‘We went downstairs, I showed him the sewer system that is collapsing,’ he said.
Unlike the controversial decision to tear down the East Wing of the White House, Trump opted to save the Kennedy Center.
‘I can save it,’ he told Grenell, choosing renovation over demolition. Trump asked Congress for $250 million for the project in the ‘One Big Beautiful’ bill that passed just before the bicameral July 4 recess.
Moments before making history as the first sitting president to host the Kennedy Center Honors, Trump told reporters the Center ‘could never be built again.’
