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The board of trustees of the renowned performing arts venue has decided to be renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center, according to a statement from the White House.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on social media that the board's approval was consensus, attributing it to "the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in preserving the building."

"This will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur," Leavitt added.

The planned renaming is shaping up as deeply divisive, notably in Washington, D.C., where the center has been an architectural and cultural icon since its founding and original naming for President John F. Kennedy.

Recent History of the Center

Soon after taking office, President Donald Trump fired all the center's sitting board members and installed allies in their positions. The reconstituted board then voted to elect Trump chairman.

The president was instrumental in securing approximately $257 million in appropriated money to finance extensive repairs and other financial needs at the aging venue.

Historical Roots

The concept for a Washington-based performing arts center was first proposed in the 1950s. Following the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was named in his honor.

This report is being updated. More details will be added as it becomes available.