White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on 18/12 that the Kennedy Center board of trustees had unanimously voted to rename the venue the Trump - Kennedy Center.

Leavitt stated the center was renamed to recognize President Donald Trump's efforts over the past year to "save the building, not just in terms of design, but also its finances and reputation."

"Congratulations to President Trump, and also to the late President Kennedy, because this combination is truly wonderful for the long journey ahead! The building will certainly achieve new heights of success and splendor," the White House press secretary said.

The Kennedy Center was constructed in 1964 and opened to the public in 1971. Its website describes Kennedy as having "dedicated his life to supporting and patronizing the arts."

Outside the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on 18/12. Photo: AP

The facility was originally known as the National Cultural Center. President Dwight D. Eisenhower initiated the facility in 1958, and it received sufficient funding during Kennedy's tenure. Two months after Kennedy's assassination in 11/1963, President Lyndon Johnson renamed the facility the John F. Kennedy Center.

The center's board members are typically split evenly between the Republican and Democratic parties. In February, President Trump dismissed the Democratic members appointed by former President Joe Biden, replacing them with his own appointees. Trump was subsequently elected chairman of the Kennedy Center board.

In recent months, Trump had repeatedly mentioned renaming the center. Earlier this month, at the opening of a peace institute also renamed in his honor, President Trump referred to the venue as the "Trump - Kennedy Center," then remarked, "Oops, sorry."

By Huyen Le (According to AFP)