Kennedy Center name change slammed by Maria Shriver as unacceptable

Maria Shriver accused President Donald Trump of trying to add her name to a monument dedicated to her uncle, President John F. Kennedy, after the Kennedy Center board of directors voted unanimously Thursday to change the institution’s name to “Trump-Kennedy Center.”

Shriver, a high-profile member of the Kennedy family, accused Trump of tarnishing JFK’s legacy in arts, culture and education, saying changing the center’s name was “incomprehensible.”

“It is inconceivable that this sitting president would attempt to change the name of this great monument dedicated to President Kennedy,” Shriver wrote to X. “It’s beyond crazy that President Kennedy thinks it’s acceptable to add his own name in front of his. It’s not.”

Roma Daravi, vice president of public affairs at the Kennedy Center, told Fox Digital on Thursday that the unanimous vote was a “recognition” of Trump’s work to rescue the center from financial troubles while also trying to update the building, which was originally built in the 1960s and opened in 1971.

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Shriver argued that adding Trump’s name was not “dignified” or “funny” and “very unbecoming of the reputation of the business.”

“Just when you think someone can’t bend any further, they come down,” he said.

The former First Lady of California said Trump may want to rename JFK Airport or make other changes, such as “Trump Lincoln Memorial,” “Trump Jefferson Memorial” and “Trump Smithsonian.”

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President Donald Trump speaks at the U.S. State Department’s 48th Kennedy Center Medal of Honor Reception on December 6, 2025 in Washington, DC (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

“Can’t we see what’s going on here?” said Shriver. “Come on, my fellow Americans! Wake up!”

President Trump said Thursday he was “honored” and “surprised” by the update.

“We’re saving the building. We saved the building. The building was in very bad shape physically, financially and otherwise. And now it’s very solid, it’s very strong. I think something will happen on television on December 23. I think it will get huge ratings and the Kennedy Center will come back really strong,” he told reporters.

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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is illuminated in red, white and blue and is reflected in the Potomac River at dusk on May 8, 2025 in Washington, DC. (David Ake/Getty Images)

Other members of the Kennedy family, including JFK’s great-nephew Joe Kennedy III, weighed in on the name change, arguing: FThe Ederal law prevents the name of the center from being changed.

“No matter what anyone says, it cannot be renamed any more than one renames the Lincoln Memorial,” he wrote to X.

The name change follows recent precedent, a Kennedy Center official told Fox News Digital, noting that the State Department decided earlier this month to add Trump’s name to the U.S. Institute of Peace and past presidential administrations that have renamed military bases.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan and Emma Colton contributed to this report.