Opposition mounted on Saturday to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts board's decision to add President Donald Trump's name to the building's facade, with performers and Democratic lawmakers denouncing the move as a politicisation of the national cultural institution. The board approved the change in a vote reported on Friday.

The Kennedy Center, opened in 1971 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, has hosted the Kennedy Center Honors and served as home to the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera. Trump assumed the chairmanship of its board in 2025 after removing previous trustees appointed by President Joe Biden and installing allies.

Several artists who had previously cancelled scheduled appearances at the venue renewed their criticism following the vote. Democratic members of Congress questioned whether federal appropriations supporting the center should be reviewed.

A Kennedy Center spokesperson defended the decision as recognition of the president's support for the institution. The renaming intensified a debate over Trump's influence over federal cultural bodies that began when he overhauled the board and named himself chairman.

Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat and senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, has previously objected to changes at the center and its use of public money. The center receives federal funding through annual congressional appropriations, giving lawmakers leverage over its operations.

Any move to formally alter the building's name honoring Kennedy is likely to face legal and legislative challenges from Democrats and preservation advocates.