The Kennedy family has sharply criticized President Trump for his refusal to proceed with renovations at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts unless his name is added to the building. The dispute has escalated into a legal and political battle, with the president's handpicked board voting to close the main building while Trump vows to block the work until the courts allow his name to be displayed.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that if a federal ruling blocking the name change is not overturned by the Supreme Court, "the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place." The board, which Trump appointed, voted Tuesday to close the main building, but the president's statement makes clear that the project is contingent on the name issue.
Maria Shriver, a niece of JFK and former first lady of California, said Trump's stance "blows my mind," calling the president "small minded" and "narcissistic." She wrote on X that it is "a sad state of affairs" and "a tragedy" that a sitting president would block public building renovations unless he gets to put his name on it. She added, "It seems that this man will not rest until his name is permanently connected to the name of a great president, whose memory this building was dedicated to."
Jack Schlossberg, JFK's grandson, who recently lost a congressional bid in New York's 12th District, also weighed in, saying, "JFK's legacy is unbreakable — the moon, the Civil Rights Act, Cuban Missile Crisis and the arts. Trump is a broken band in nose dive decline."
The legal fight began in December when Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex-officio board member, sued to block both the name change and the closure plans. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled against the board, preventing Trump's name from being added to the building's facade.
Kerry Kennedy, daughter of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, praised Beatty as a "national hero" for taking on the board and the administration in court. "She has fiercely and courageously stood up for the Kennedy Center, for the arts, for Uncle Jack's memory, for this country's history, and most importantly, for the law, time and time again," Kerry Kennedy wrote on social media. "We will not be bullied into silence or submission. Thank you, Rep. Beatty. We are all so grateful for your leadership."
The controversy echoes other instances where Trump has sought to place his name on public institutions. For example, former USIP board members have sought court orders to stop his name being engraved at the United States Institute of Peace. The Kennedy Center dispute also comes amid broader tensions between Trump and the judiciary, as Senate Republicans have pushed back on his attacks on justices and the Federal Reserve.
Notably, Kerry Kennedy's brother, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves as Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary, has previously said he has "bigger fish to fry" than worrying about the name change, highlighting a split within the Kennedy family over how to respond to the president.
The Kennedy Center, a national landmark dedicated to the memory of President Kennedy, has become the latest flashpoint in Trump's ongoing efforts to imprint his legacy on Washington institutions. The legal battle is expected to continue, with the Supreme Court potentially weighing in on the dispute.
