Kennedy Center: Now Trump’s name is back on the facade – just somewhere else

In May, a federal judge ordered that Trump’s name be removed from the Kennedy Center because only Congress can make changes to the name. In June, the five letters of the US President were removed. From the building as well as from the website.

But now the board, headed by Trump himself, wants to make it clear once again what role he believes the US President plays for the art center: namely, a supporting one. According to those involved, the plan will still be presented to a judge.

The area in front of the center will be called “Donald J. Trump Plaza.”

The decision was strongly condemned by at least one member of the board, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. “Today’s sham meeting illustrates that the Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board believes it is above the law,” it said in a statement. The board is once again openly disregarding a court order. According to Whitehouse, the board also voted to name the area in front of the Kennedy Center “Donald J. Trump Plaza.”

Trump, who fired the head of the Kennedy Center last year and then filled the board with his supporters and appointed himself chairman, told Bloomberg through his spokeswoman Liz Huston: “Under President Trump’s decisive leadership, the Kennedy Center is well on its way to becoming the world’s preeminent cultural institution.”

However, not everyone sees it that way. Since Trump took over the Kennedy Center, ticket sales have plummeted, artists have canceled exhibitions and performances, and regulars at the venue, considered the center of Washington’s art scene, have stayed home. You shouldn’t miss much either: the Kennedy Center’s homepage only has the program for September and primarily offers cheap cinema evenings.