Donald Trump’s Name Added to Kennedy Center D.C. Exterior and Website, After Experts Say Renaming Move Is Illegal

The Kennedy Center, which first opened its doors more than 50 years ago, on Friday got a new addition: Donald Trump‘s name, which is being added above the name of John F. Kennedy on the building’s façade in Washington, D.C.

Workers on Friday added Trump’s name to the center, coming after the White House claimed that the Kennedy Center board of trustees — all selected by President Trump — voted unanimously to rename the facility “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

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The homepage of the Kennedy Center’s website also was updated Friday with a new logo that says “The Trump Kennedy Center” (although the old Kennedy Center logo currently still appears across the site).

Legal experts said the name of the Kennedy Center was established by federal law, and that the organization’s board does not have the authority to make any changes to its name. Changing the name of the Kennedy Center would require an act of Congress, according to scholars.

“There is absolutely no way they can do this legally,” David Super, Georgetown Law professor who specializes in Constitutional law and legislation, told CNN. However, he said, “the administration is not concerning itself with laws unless it has a realistic prospect of getting sued.”

Variety has reached out the White House for comment.

On X, historian Michael Beschloss wrote Thursday that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts “was named by Act of Congress, January 1964, signed by President Johnson.” CNN reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere quoted Bechloss’ comment and said, “Fun Constitutional fact: an Act of Congress cannot be overridden by a vote of board members.”

White House communications director Steven Cheung quoted the CNN reporter’s tweet, and wrote, “Fun Constitutional fact,” along with an image of “The Trump Kennedy Center” logo.

Members of the Kennedy family also objected to the center’s renaming, citing the law.

“The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law,” Joe Kennedy III, one of JFK’s grandnephews and a former U.S. representative from Massachusetts, wrote in a post on X. “It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.”

The name change comes after Trump announced in February that he was “unanimously” elected to lead the center’s board.

The board voted to rename the Kennedy Center “because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X in announcing the news. “Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation. 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.”

After Trump took office for a second term in February, Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter was fired. Trump then appointed as her replacement Richard Grenell, who was ambassador to Germany during the first Trump administration and was serving as Trump’s envoy for special missions.

Following Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, Shonda Rhimes, the organization’s treasurer who had been appointed by President Barack Obama, immediately announced she had resigned from the board. In addition, singer Renée Fleming stepped down as artistic adviser to the center, and singer-songwriter Ben Folds exited down as artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra because of the president’s actions.

On Dec. 7, Trump broke with decades of tradition and hosted the 48th Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. At the event, Trump also jokingly referred to the place as “the Trump-Kennedy Center,” then, waiting a beat for laughter, said, “I mean, the ‘Kennedy Center.’ I’m sorry. This is terribly embarrassing.”

The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts made its public debut on Sept. 8, 1971. President Kennedy had taken the lead to raise funds for what was originally called the National Cultural Center before it was renamed in his honor after he was assassinated.