President Donald Trump may get another chance to put his name on the Kennedy Center after the institution’s Trump-appointed leaders warned that it is on the brink of bankruptcy and that adding the president's moniker to the facade, thus ensuring his fundraising efforts, may be the only way to keep it afloat. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' board is preparing to consider 10 new inscriptions for the building’s exterior, weeks after a federal judge ordered Trump’s name removed and ruled the board lacked authority to rename the institution. The new proposals would place Trump’s name below the Kennedy Center’s existing name, recasting it as recognition for his role in renovating and raising money for the center.
In a 57-page packet prepared for the board’s Tuesday meeting, center officials warn that they could be unable to meet payroll and routine expenses “within a matter of weeks” and describe the institution as facing “certain fiscal collapse.” They say Trump has offered to raise money to keep the center from bankruptcy but may not provide the same level of oversight or fundraising without “appropriate recognition” of his role. The board is also considering an immediate closure of the main building, citing serious structural deterioration and the need for a sweeping renovation. The proposals give Trump and his allies a new path to pursue the recognition that a federal judge previously blocked while tying the fight over his name directly to the Kennedy Center’s financial and physical future.
Newsweek reached out to the White House, the Kennedy Center, and the Department of Justice for comment. According to a court filing made public Monday by Representative Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio Kennedy Center trustee who has challenged the renaming, the board has prepared 10 possible ways to put Trump’s name or his associated fund on the building. The proposals reflect the board’s argument that Trump’s involvement in renovating and financially supporting the Kennedy Center warrants recognition on the building itself.
Earlier proposals approved by the board would have described the building as the “John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump," or “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund” would be added if that fund reaches $100 million in donations.
The board has also proposed calling the grounds around the building “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.” The precise wording matters because the Kennedy Center’s board is attempting to characterize the new language not as a formal renaming, but as recognition of Trump’s role in the institution’s restoration and fundraising. Newsweek reached out to Beatty's office for comment.
The controversy began after Trump took control of the Kennedy Center’s board during his second term. In February 2025, Trump announced that he was removing members of the existing board and installing new trustees aligned with his administration. He also became chairman of the board.
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