Kennedy Center Board Votes to Inscribe Trump's Name, Close for Renovations
Center-LeftRigor 5429 sources
The Story
The Kennedy Center board voted Thursday to add President Donald J. Trump's name to the building's facade and close the center for two years for renovations. The approved inscription will read: "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump." This decision marks a second attempt to place the president's name on the building, following a May ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper. Judge Cooper had ordered the removal of Trump's name and blocked a previous plan to close the center until 2028, stating that renaming the center violated federal law. Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a board member, called the latest vote a transparent effort to circumvent the Court's ruling. Beatty's attorneys, Norm Eisen and Nathaniel Zelinsky, stated the court already ruled against the board and that defendants must answer for their actions again in court. The proposal to add Trump's name was not on the formal agenda for the meeting and was raised toward the end, prompting complaints from Democratic board members that it was not presented in writing before the vote. The board, largely composed of Trump's allies, voted 20-3 to adopt the resolution. The three dissenting votes came from ex officio members of Congress: Rep. Joyce Beatty, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, and Rep. Rick Larsen. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick proposed the name change, and President Trump joined the virtual board meeting for several minutes. The physical site will also be renamed "President Donald J. Trump Plaza." The center has faced an institutional crisis since February 2025, when Trump fired its board, appointed himself chairman, and selected Richard Grenell as acting director. The venue has since lost audiences, high-profile shows, and artists.
The Spread
Left
What they agree on
- The Kennedy Center board voted to add President Donald J. Trump's name to the building's facade.
- The board also approved a plan to close the center for two years for renovations.
- The proposed inscription will read "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump."
- This action follows a May ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper that ordered the removal of Trump's name and blocked a previous closure plan.
- Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty and her attorneys view the board's latest vote as an attempt to circumvent the court's ruling.
Where they split
- CNN's coverage, particularly through Kaitlan Collins, emphasizes President Trump's broader "vanity projects" and "penchant for branding everything in his name," listing several examples beyond the Kennedy Center.
- RedState frames the board's decision as a "genius workaround" to objections from Democrats and an "activist judge," presenting it positively.
- The Atlantic includes a detail about an "obscure endowment known as the Trump Kennedy Center Fund" that, if it reaches $100 million, would expand the signage to include "Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund."
- NBC News specifically names Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as the proposer of the name change and identifies the three ex officio members who voted against the resolution.
Source Perspectives
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