Celebrities
The future of Washington’s Kennedy Center has become tangled in a dispute over renovations, presidential recognition, and the building’s name. Kerry Kennedy, niece of John F. Kennedy, used a television appearance to question why Donald Trump has devoted so much attention to the institution while Americans struggle with everyday expenses.
Kerry Kennedy criticizes Donald Trump’s priorities during a Today interview
Kennedy told Today’s host, Craig Melvin, that many people cannot comfortably afford groceries, transportation to work, or health care. She then said Trump’s push to reshape the cultural venue and his interest in demolishing it “makes no sense to me.” Her remarks came while she promoted Ethel Kennedy: The Extraordinary Life and Bold Legacy, her memoir about her mother.
For Kennedy, the issue goes beyond a building project. She described the venue as a “living memorial” to her uncle, who was assassinated in 1963. Her father, Robert F. Kennedy, was killed in 1968. She argued that the institution serves the country’s arts community and deserves preservation rather than a fight over presidential naming rights.
The naming dispute has already faced legal resistance. A 1964 law established the cultural center in John F. Kennedy’s name, and U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in June that neither Trump nor the board could rename it without congressional approval. The board, chaired by Trump and populated by his allies, subsequently voted to close the venue for renovations (via PEOPLE).
Trump has argued that the renovation effort deserves recognition, warning in September that the venue could face closure or even demolition without the administration’s intervention. He also took to Truth Social to claim he had deposited $17 million into the center’s account. However, the project already had substantial federal backing as Congress approved more than $250 million for the renovations in 2025.
The dispute had already sparked a public backlash in September, when Kennedy urged people to protest at the venue after wire-service images showed Trump examining a poster that seemingly floated demolition as an option.