Trump Floats Renaming of Kennedy Center During Oval Office Remarks

In his latest round of Oval Office comments, President Donald Trump suggested that The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts might soon be renamed after him, telling reporters that “maybe in a week or so” the change could happen.

The remark came as Trump was announcing that the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will be held at the Kennedy Center on December 5, 2025. “Some people refer to it as the Trump Kennedy Center, but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet,” he said, before adding the off-the-cuff suggestion that the renaming might follow shortly.

This isn’t the first time Trump has floated the idea. Earlier this month, he referred to the “Trump/Kennedy Center” in a Truth Social post about the Kennedy Center Honors, before quickly correcting himself.

Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in Congress that proposed renaming the center after Trump and designating the Opera House for the First Lady, though any change would require passage by both chambers of Congress.

At present, there is no official action to rename the venue, and the Kennedy Center continues to operate under its original name, honoring President John F. Kennedy.

Since taking control of the Kennedy Center in early 2025, President Trump has overhauled its leadership, firing longtime president Deborah Rutter and replacing the board with loyal appointees, including media allies. He canceled programming that drew backlash from artists, spurred a wave of high-profile withdrawals, and triggered staff unionization efforts.