BREAKING: Maria Shriver and numerous Kennedy family members openly expressed their anger over the recent controversial news involving the Kennedy Center
A proposal to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include Donald Trump’s name has ignited a fierce backlash. The plan would call it the “Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center,” informally the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
The Kennedy Center’s board credits Trump with saving the institution from financial ruin. Critics, however, note Trump chairs the board and appointed many of its members, raising questions about the decision’s independence.
The Kennedy family has reacted with outrage. Maria Shriver, JFK’s niece, called the idea “beyond wild,” stating it disrespects her uncle’s legacy. She sarcastically wondered if Trump would next rename JFK Airport or the Lincoln Memorial.
Her brother, Timothy Shriver, emphasized the center is a presidential memorial, not just a namesake building. He argued renaming it insults history, paralleling it to altering other monuments.
Other family members raised procedural concerns. JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, claimed the board vote lacked transparency, with muted microphones and a non-unanimous result.
Legal challenges are also mounting. Joe Kennedy III noted the center is a federally designated memorial, suggesting its name is legally protected. Prominent Democrats are preparing to fight the change on these grounds.
Kerry Kennedy condemned the move, arguing Trump’s values clash with JFK’s celebration of arts and free expression. The controversy remains unresolved, posing a major test of legacy, politics, and historical memory.
