The historic Kennedy Center could be renamed after Donald Trump sooner rather than later.
Speaking Friday from the Oval Office, Trump signaled that the institution could bear his name in a matter of days.
“Some people refer to it as the ‘Trump Kennedy Center,’ but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet,” Trump said. “Maybe in a week or so.”
Trump’s comments came during his announcement that the FIFA World Cup draw will take place at the institution on December 5, just days before the annual Kennedy Center Honors are held.
In a first, Trump will serve as this year’s host for the ceremony, honoring George Strait, KISS, Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford. Tom Cruise was offered the award but declined due to scheduling conflicts, The Washington Post reported, citing current and former Kennedy Center employees.
Trump insisted the Kennedy Center board had requested that he serve as the emcee of this year’s show, stepping into shoes once filled by the late CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite from 1981 to 2002, then by Ambassador Caroline Kennedy — the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, for whom the arts center is named — from 2003 to 2012.
The Kennedy Center has been a big focus for Trump during his second term. He appointed himself head of the center shortly after taking office, wiping former President Joe Biden’s board in favor of his own picks, including placing MAGA loyalist Richard Grenell in charge.
Opened to the public in 1971, the Kennedy Center comprises several stages, including the Concert Hall, the Opera House and the Eisenhower Theater. The Concert Hall and Opera House both seat more than 2,000 people.
Trump has mentioned renaming the facility on multiple occasions, garnering support in the process. In July, Republican Representative Bob Onder of Missouri introduced a bill called the “Make Entertainment Great Again Act” — in a spin on Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again” — to move the process forward.
Onder described Trump as “a patron of the arts and a staple of the pop-culture landscape” in a statement announcing the bill.
This bill comes after Republican Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho introduced an amendment to a funding bill that would rename the Kennedy Center’s Opera House after First Lady Melania Trump, who serves as the honorary chair of the center. The measure, voted on by the House Appropriations Committee on July 22, passed 33-25.
“This is an excellent way to recognize [Melania Trump’s] support and commitment to promoting the arts, and I would encourage members to vote for this Republican en bloc amendment,” Simpson said.
The move to rename the Kennedy Center after Trump comes amid a wave of protests and cancellations since he took the helm at the institution.
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and the musical’s lead producer Jeffrey Seller canceled a planned 2026 run at the center earlier this year.
Several cast members of the popular musical Les Misérables’ touring company also planned a boycott of the show for the night Trump attended a Kennedy Center performance, according to a report.
