Donald Trump recently proposed a novel idea for the Kennedy Center: introducing new marble seating.

Trump unveiled photos featuring sleek black-and-white marble armrests that he suggested could be incorporated into the prestigious performing arts venue.

He shared these images on Truth Social, lauding the design as a significant enhancement and describing the marble armrests as ‘unprecedented in design and appeal.’

Since his presidency began, Trump has revamped the center’s leadership, dismissing several board members appointed by Biden and appointing himself as chairman.

Subsequently, the board voted to rename the venue as The Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, a decision that sparked immediate controversy, particularly among the Kennedy family.

Maria Shriver, a niece of John F Kennedy, condemned the decision, calling it ‘beyond comprehension’.

Another niece, Kerry Kennedy, said she intends to remove Trump’s name from the building once he leaves office.

Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and former board member, has filed a lawsuit challenging the renaming, arguing that federal law gives Congress, not the board, sole authority to alter the center’s official name.

Her complaint alleged the board acted unlawfully and accused Trump of pushing the change for personal reasons, stating that Congress has not passed legislation approving a new name.

Black-and-white marble armrests shared by President Donald Trump as a possible seating upgrade for the newly renamed Kennedy Center

The President shared pictures of the marble slabs on Truth Social

‘Unless and until this Court intervenes, the effort to corrupt the Kennedy Center into a vanity project for Defendant Trump will continue to harm the institution,’ her lawyers wrote.

The backlash extended beyond the courtroom, with jazz musician Chuck Redd, who has led the Kennedy Center’s annual holiday Jazz Jams since 2006, canceling a scheduled Christmas Eve concert in protest after Trump’s name was added to the venue.

The president of the newly renamed Kennedy Center later fired off a sharply worded letter to Redd, accusing him of political motives and demanding $1 million in damages over the axed performance.

Richard Grenell, who leads the Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, said Redd’s decision to withdraw from the annual Jazz Jam was driven by ‘partisan political reasons’ tied to the venue’s renaming, according to a letter published by the Associated Press.

In the letter, Grenell said the last-minute cancellation was ‘very costly’ to the nonprofit institution, criticized Redd’s ticket sales as ‘dismal,’ and accused him of yielding to pressure from the political left. He also praised the Trump administration for what he described as rescuing the venue from decline.

Other high-profile artists have also withdrawn from the Kennedy Center, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, who canceled a planned production of Hamilton.

Trump restructured the Kennedy Center’s leadership and appointed himself chairman

Workers install new signage bearing President Donald Trump’s name on the exterior of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC

President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation in 1964 establishing the center, then called the National Cultural Center, as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy after his 1963 assassination. 

The law bars the board of trustees from honoring anyone else in the building’s name or adding another individual’s name to the exterior, according to the Associated Press.

It comes amid Trump’s extensive overhaul of the White House and its surrounding grounds, where he has instituted some of the most sweeping physical changes to the complex in decades. 

The renovations focused on expanding space for large-scale events while imprinting Trump’s distinctive, ornate design style on both the interior and exterior.

The most significant project was the construction of a new White House ballroom, designed to accommodate nearly 1,000 guests – far exceeding the East Room’s capacity of roughly 200. 

To make room for the structure, the historic East Wing, built in 1902 and long home to the First Lady’s offices, the White House theater, and a visitor entrance, was demolished in October 2025. 

The 90,000-square-foot project, estimated at $300 million, was funded through private donations from corporations including Google, Meta, and Palantir, as well as personal contributions.

Additional changes reshaped the outdoor grounds. Over the summer, Trump replaced the Rose Garden’s grass lawn with white limestone and stone tiles, converting it into a permanent terrace intended to better accommodate large events. 

He cited the impracticality of grass for crowds and formal footwear as justification. 

Two 100-foot flagpoles were installed on the North and South Lawns in June, and a nearly 200-year-old magnolia tree planted during Andrew Jackson’s presidency was removed in April after officials determined it posed a safety risk.

President Donald Trump unveiled progress on his grand new ballroom

An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished on October 23

Inside the White House, Trump made extensive decorative updates. The Oval Office was refitted with prominent gold accents, including 24-karat gold trim along the crown molding, a gold-leaf presidential seal on the ceiling, and gold-framed mirrors and portraits. 

The blue rug introduced during the Clinton administration was replaced with a lighter beige version previously used under Ronald Reagan.

Other interior spaces were similarly reworked. The Palm Room was refinished with white marble flooring and a new chandelier to serve as a grand entryway to the Oval Office. 

The Lincoln Bedroom bathroom was gutted and rebuilt with polished black-and-white statuary marble, replacing its original 1940s green tile. 

The Cabinet Room received gold wall decals, gold curtains, and additional portraits of former presidents.

Several changes also carried symbolic weight. Along the West Wing Colonnade, a Presidential Walk of Fame was installed featuring portraits of past presidents; the display notably replaced Joe Biden’s portrait with an image of an autopen, a reference to Trump’s criticism of Biden’s use of the device. 

In the Entrance Hall, Trump removed Barack Obama’s official portrait and replaced it with a painting depicting himself raising his fist after the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.