Workers stand on a forklift near "The Donald" lettering. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
ICONIC DC LANDMARK UNVEILS FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE AS PART OF PUSH TO REVIVE HOLIDAY SPIRIT
Kennedy revived the project in 1962, by appointing Broadway producer Roger L. Stevens as board chair and involving former First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy and Mamie Eisenhower, leading to a major $30 million campaign.
Following Kennedy’s assassination, former President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill in 1964, renaming the center after Kennedy as a living memorial to him.
In February, Trump was elected chairman of the Kennedy Center board after removing 18 trustees appointed by former President Joe Biden.
Workers use a forklift near "The Donald" lettering above the signage on the Kennedy Center. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
"It is beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy," Shriver wrote in an X post. "It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not."
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell responded to Shriver in an X post Friday afternoon, claiming she "ignored the former Kennedy Center for years - she didn’t care when it was falling apart."
Fox News Digital learned that all members of the board were invited to attend the vote in person and listen in on the meeting, including those who could not vote.
Ex-officio member Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-O.H. released a fiery video message Thursday claiming the vote was not unanimous, and she was "muted" when she attempted to speak.
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Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department announced the building housing the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) was officially renamed the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, with "Donald J. Trump" lettering added above the original USIP signage, similar to the Kennedy Center.
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-name-added-kennedy-center-following-unanimous-board-vote-rename-historic-building