Donald Trump's Bold Demand for Kennedy Center Renovations Raises Eyebrows

President Donald Trump is supportive of the Kennedy Center’s renovations — if his name can be added to the landmark. “The Board of The Kennedy Center today agreed, almost unanimously, to close the Building for Safety reasons, and so that it can begin the process of Reconstruction,” Trump, 80, wrote via TruthSocial on Tuesday, September 15. “The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name.” The commander in chief continued, “If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place.” In his latest post, Trump claimed $17 million — that he allegedly raised — has already been put into The Kennedy Center account to keep it afloat.

Earlier in the day, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper explained that Congress would need to approve Trump’s name being added to the Washington, D.C., building first named after John F. Kennedy. “Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’ blessing,” Cooper said in the latest ruling on Tuesday via the Associated Press. Trump claimed the attorneys from the Department of Justice would be asking for an expedited appeal. The Kennedy Center board first voted in August to inscribe Trump’s name on the building’s facade so it would read “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.” If the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reached $100 million, another inscription would be added reading: “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.” Several members of Kennedy’s extended family have spoken out against any name change, including Maria Shriver.

“Adding your name to a memorial already named in honor of a great man doesn’t make you a great man. Quite the contrary,” Shriver, 70, wrote via X in December 2025. “Putting your name on top of someone else’s doesn’t mean that people will speak of you in the same breath as the other man. Putting your name above another man’s name on his existing memorial… What is that about? Truly? What’s that about?” Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s only grandson, was also outraged by Trump’s actions. “Trump can take the Kennedy Center for himself. He can change the name, shut the doors, and demolish the building,” Schlossberg, 33, wrote via X in February. “He can try to kill JFK. But JFK is kept alive by us now rising up to remove Donald Trump, bring him to justice, and restore the freedoms generations fought for.”