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The leadership board of the prestigious performing arts venue has voted to adopt a new name the Trump-Kennedy Center, per an announcement by the White House.

White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced via a post that the board's approval was consensus, crediting "the tremendous efforts President Trump has done over the last year in preserving the building."

"This will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt achieve new levels of grandeur and success," Leavitt added.

The planned renaming is expected to be extremely contentious, particularly in Washington, D.C., where the center has served as an iconic landmark since its completion and christening for President John F. Kennedy.

Context of the Venue

Shortly after beginning his term, President Donald Trump dismissed all the center's sitting board members and appointed loyalists in their place. The freshly appointed board later moved to elect Trump chairman.

The president helped procure approximately $257 million in congressional funding to cover extensive repairs and other financial needs at the historic venue.

Historical Roots

The vision for a federal performing arts center originated in the 1950s. Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, in 1963, the then-under-construction venue was christened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

This report is being updated. Additional information will be added as it becomes available.