Trump-handpicked board votes to rename Kennedy arts building as Trump-Kennedy Center

Washington's John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is set to be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center after the Trump-handpicked board backed the move in a vote.

The name change has been criticised as a "disgrace" by the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, who is also on the board. Kennedy family members have also hit out at the decision.

But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the move recognises the "unbelievable work President Trump has done over the past year to save the building". "Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation," she said in a post on social media.

Mr Jeffries said the president's handpicked board had no authority to rename Washington's leading performing arts centre in the absence of legislative action, "and we're going to make that clear". The New York Democrat is an ex officio member of the board because of his position in Congress.

And former US Representative Joe Kennedy III, a grandnephew of the late president, wrote on X: "The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. "It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says." President Trump, a Republican who is also the board's chairman, frequently calls the building, which honours the former Democrat president, the "Trump-Kennedy Centre".

After taking little interest in it during his first term in office, Mr Trump launched a revamp of the institution shortly after returning to power. He ousted ​its chair and installed a new board that made Mr Trump the chair instead.

He also fired the centre's long-time president, Deborah Rutter. On 7 December, while walking the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honours programme, Mr Trump was asked if he planned to rename the venue after himself.

He replied that the decision would be up to the board. Earlier this month, Mr Trump mentioned a "big event on Friday at the Trump-Kennedy Centre" before correcting himself with, "excuse me, at the Kennedy Centre.