The Kennedy Center board voted last week to place Donald Trump ’s name in three separate spots across the Washington, D.C., complex, according to a resolution filed in federal court on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The plan would add Trump’s name to the facade, create a Trump branded plaza, and eventually credit a Trump fund with the center’s endowment. The proposed facade would keep the official name, “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” then add “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.” If the board’s planned endowment reaches $100 million, a third line would read “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.” Subtle branding, this is not. How Did Trump’s Name Get Here Again? The resolution also designates the physical site and grounds as “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.” The board is chaired by Trump and includes administration officials Sergio Gor and Dan Scavino , along with Fox News figures Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham . The board first voted in December to add Trump’s name to the center, prompting Joyce Beatty , a Democratic congresswoman from Ohio and an ex officio board member, to sue. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May that only Congress could change the center’s name, after which the venue removed “Trump Kennedy Center” references from its website and promotional materials. Workers later covered the front facade with scaffolding and a tarp while removing Trump’s lettering, and the covering has remained in place. The latest vote keeps the naming fight alive while the center separately faces a board approved plan to close for two years for renovations.