WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump sealed his takeover of Washington’s famed Kennedy Middle on Thursday (Dec 18) after the White Home mentioned the establishment’s board voted to rename it the “Trump-Kennedy Middle.”
Trump hand-picked new board members of the US nationwide cultural centre and put in himself as chairman earlier this 12 months, as a part of a crackdown on establishments he branded too woke.
However relations of slain US president John F Kennedy, after whom the humanities venue is known as, slammed the choice as “past wild” and mentioned it couldn’t be renamed with out the approval of Congress.
Including his personal identify to the storied venue is the most recent in a sequence of grandiose Trump schemes together with the demolition of the White Home East Wing to construct a US$400-million ballroom, and planning a big triumphal arch.
“I used to be shocked by it, I used to be honoured by it,” Trump instructed reporters after the announcement of the board resolution – regardless of having repeatedly talked a few identify change for the centre up to now.
White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned the “extremely revered” board of the Kennedy Middle had “voted unanimously” to take the extraordinary step of renaming it after a dwelling president.
Leavitt mentioned it was “due to the unbelievable work President Trump has achieved during the last 12 months in saving the constructing”.
“Congratulations to President Donald J Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, as a result of this will probably be a really nice crew lengthy into the long run!” she added.
Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The imposing white-marble arts centre, which sits on the banks of the Potomac River, opened in 1971.
The web site of the Kennedy Middle later had a brand new “Trump-Kennedy Middle” brand.
However the transfer met fierce condemnation from the Kennedy household, America’s most storied political clan.
“Can we not see what is going on right here? C’mon, my fellow People! Get up!” JFK’s niece Maria Shriver mentioned on X. She added that it was “past wild” of Trump to assume it was acceptable so as to add his identify earlier than her uncle’s.
Former congressman Joe Kennedy III mentioned the centre was a “dwelling memorial” to his great-uncle and “can no sooner be renamed than can somebody rename the Lincoln Memorial, it doesn’t matter what anybody says”.
The total identify of the John F Kennedy Middle for the Performing Arts is ready out in federal statute. Congress created the middle in 1958 and later renamed it by legislation to honor Kennedy after his assassination.
