WASHINGTON – While President Donald Trump may have stamped his name on the facade, Congress still refers to it as the Kennedy Center.

On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a bipartisan spending plan that allocates $32 million for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ operational costs, extending through September 30, 2027.

Following his inauguration in 2025, Trump initiated several leadership changes at the cultural hub, culminating in December with a trustee board, selected by him, voting to rename the venue the Trump Kennedy Center. This rebranding placed Trump’s name alongside Kennedy’s on the building and the official website.

The Kennedy Center stated that the renaming was in honor of Trump’s efforts to rejuvenate what he viewed as an overly liberal institution. However, since his intervention, the center has faced a spate of artist cancellations, dwindling ticket sales, and decreased attendance. Additionally, the Kennedy Center Honors broadcast in December saw a 35% drop in viewership compared to 2024, despite Trump’s expectations of record ratings as host.

Following President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Congress enacted legislation designating the center as a memorial to the late Democrat. This law strictly forbids the trustees from transforming the center into a memorial for anyone else or adding another name to its exterior. As a result, the board’s renaming decision is now being contested in federal court.