TOI correspondent from Washington: Recognising his tasteful appreciation of fine arts and his architectural aesthetics, not to speak of his modesty and humility, the board of trustees of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC voted on Thursday to rename the national arts institution the Trump-Kennedy Center.The name change was reportedly initiated by former White House personnel director and currently US ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who set the ball rolling at a meeting of the board that includes vice-president JD Vance’s wife, second lady Usha Vance, commerce secretary Howard Lutlick’s wife Allison Lutnick, and a host of MAGA leading lights, including his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo. Trump himself was elected chairman after board members of the Biden dispensation were sent packing earlier this year.According to the White House, the change reflects President Donald Trump’s heroic intervention to save the building from “financial ruin and physical destruction”, a fate it narrowly avoided despite having hosted world-class opera, ballet, theatre, and concerts — many by performers from India — for more than 50 years. Apparently, decades of sold-out performances were merely a prolonged warning sign, like a ceiling crack only visible to real estate developers.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt credited Trump with rescuing the centre from collapse, suggesting that the arts had been moments away from total annihilation until the president — best known in cultural circles for “The Art of the Deal” and plating the Oval Office in gold — stepped in. Critics noted that Congress had already appropriated roughly $257 million for renovations, but supporters say this only underscores Trump’s generosity in allowing federal money to be spent while also taking personal credit.President Trump said he was “surprised” and “honoured” by the decision, adding that he plans to make “a lot of changes”. The rebranding follows the 2025 Kennedy Center Honours, which President Trump hosted himself. During the ceremony, he unsubtly referred to the venue as the Trump-Kennedy Center, a “gaffe” that now appears to have been more of a soft launch.The vote itself has attracted some scrutiny. Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex-officio board member, said she was repeatedly muted during a conference call and never had the chance to object. Other than that, the vote was “unanimous”. Members of the Kennedy family responded with outrage. Maria Shriver, President Kennedy’s niece and former journalist who was married to California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, called the move “beyond comprehension”, “not dignified”, and “downright weird”, adding that perhaps the administration might next consider renaming JFK Airport or the Lincoln Memorial. Other Kennedy family members pointed out that the Kennedy Center is a congressionally designated living memorial, protected by federal law, and the name cannot be changed without congressional approval. Social media users pitched in, proposing additional naming opportunities, including renaming the Lincoln Memorial as the Trump-Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument as the Trump-Washington Monument.“If we’re renaming landmarks like the Kennedy Center and the Gulf of Mexico, why stop there? Rename the United States to the United States of Trump,” read one snarky post.
